


Unlearn What You Have Learned

by CaptainMarvel42



Series: Always in Motion [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ben Solo Lives, F/M, Fix-It, Han Solo Lives, Minor Character Death, Minor Paige Tico/Kaydel Ko Connix, No Pregnancy, Redemption, Sexual Content, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:35:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26686006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainMarvel42/pseuds/CaptainMarvel42
Summary: Rey’s muscles were tense. She remembered the first time she arrived at theSupremacy, launching herself off theFalconin an escape pod, hoping to turn Kylo Ren back to the Light.This time was different. Ben was by her side and she had so much more to lose.(Or: back in time, Rey and Ben try to fix the events of TLJ and TROS. Sequel toMake It Through the Night.)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Always in Motion [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1941907
Comments: 229
Kudos: 506
Collections: TROS Reylo Fix-it Fics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy to be posting the sequel!
> 
> For anyone who wants spoilers for the minor character death, message me on Tumblr or let me know how I can contact you.

Rey had hoped more had changed. They had followed the signal from the binary beacon and found the Resistance in a situation far too familiar to Rey. The _Supremacy_ was waiting for the _Raddus –_ the cruiser that was likely carrying the surviving Resistance members – to run out of fuel. The First Order had the advantage.

She didn’t want to relive the past. 

_The Force wouldn’t have brought us back if we couldn’t change things,_ Rey thought. _Ben and I have already changed the past. Han is alive. We warned the Resistance that the First Order could track them though hyperspace – maybe they have a better plan?_

She hoped the Resistance had an advantage she couldn’t see – that Finn and Rose had more success – that Leia hadn’t been injured. 

Rey had to remind herself of the positive changes. 

_Luke is with us._

She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths. 

It didn’t help. Too many things _hadn’t_ changed. Even her _clothes_ were the same. Nothing else on the _Falcon_ was suitable for Ben’s plan, so she wore the same dark grey tunic she wore the first time she went to the _Supremacy._ Like many of her outfits, her tunic was draped with loose fabric – also grey – and her arms were wrapped. The only change she made was putting her hair up into her customary three bun style. It was a small change, but at least it was a change. 

Ben had smiled when he saw what she had changed into. 

She had glared at him, and he had defended himself by telling her she looked good. 

It was difficult to stay mad at him when they were about to take a massive risk. 

Rey’s muscles were tense. She remembered the first time she arrived at the _Supremacy,_ launching herself off the _Falcon_ in an escape pod, hoping to turn Kylo Ren back to the Light. 

This time was different. Ben was by her side and she had so much more to lose.

Memories of events that she refused to let happen again flashed before her eyes: her disappointment when he brought her to Snoke, the terror of watching the Resistance be destroyed, the pain from Snoke’s torture, and worst of all, the temptation when he asked her to join him. 

Ben nudged her arm with his. "You don't need to worry."

"Your plan is horrible," Rey said, leaning back into her seat. They were sitting together at the game table in the _Falcon’s_ main hold. The knot in her stomach grew. 

"I didn't come up with the plan on my own," Ben said, raising his hands defensively. 

"That's what worries me," she admitted. "Nothing good can come from you and Luke agreeing on _anything."_ It didn't help that Ben was also wearing a familiar outfit. The black clothes that had once been such a big part of her impression of him no longer seemed to suit him. Dressed as Kylo Ren – wearing the same cowl, tunic, gloves, and belt from Starkiller Base – he looked uneasy. 

At least the mask was gone. 

"Nobody is expecting us." Ben took her hand. "Once the First Order realizes what's happening, it'll be too late."

She wished she shared his confidence. 

...

Rey and Ben joined the others in the cockpit. 

She was surprised that Luke hadn’t gone off on his own. He was sitting behind Chewie, which was as far away from Han as he could get. Han’s anger towards him hadn’t cooled, and it was uncomfortable to be in the same room as the two of them.

Han stood up. “Are you ready for this?” he asked Ben.

Ben raised his eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Han walked towards Ben. “You haven’t been away from the First Order for _that_ long” – Rey sat in the empty passenger's seat to give Han room to walk past her – "but a lot has changed."

“It has,” Ben agreed. 

Han placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder and leaned forward. “You’ve changed and they’re going to notice.”

Ben shook his head. “That won’t matter. By the time they notice, we'll have already won.”

”I hope you're right,” Han said, sighing. He took his hand off Ben’s shoulder. The two of them had come a long way, but neither knew how to act around the other yet. Han was too hesitant, too agreeable. It was like he was afraid any conflict would destroy their fragile peace. 

“Han,” Luke said, drawing attention to himself, “it’s our best chance.”

Han narrowed his eyes. “I don’t trust your judgement.”

Rey looked around the room. Chewie looked like he was ready to back up whatever Han said, and Ben looked like he was waiting for a fight to break out. 

They didn’t have time for this. “Han isn’t the only one with doubts,” Rey said. 

Chewie growled his agreement. 

“We have two options,” Ben said. “We stick to the plan or we abandon the Resistance.” 

Rey hated that he was right.

“I know.” Han pinched the bridge of his nose. “But I don’t want to lose you again.”

“I won’t be alone,” Ben said, looking at Rey. 

Luke stood up. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Ben and Rey safe.” He stepped towards Han, and Han stepped away from him, causing Luke to look away.

“You better,” Han said so quietly that Rey almost missed his words. From the way Luke flinched, she knew that he heard Han too. She didn’t think Han would forgive Luke, and she wondered if Luke had come to that same realization. 

...

Chewie gave Rey the thick metallic binders he had found in one of the hidden storage compartments. They had pulse lock points that welded the clasps tight. They looked strong enough to hold a Jedi.

Luke handed his lightsaber to Rey. 

She attached his lightsaber to her belt. Rey had heard stories that praised Luke's skill with a lightsaber, but she hadn't seen him use one. She hoped he wasn't too out of shape. 

Luke held out his hands.

Rey put the binders on him. “Are they too tight?” she asked. 

“No.” Luke shook his head. “This has to look realistic.” 

It looked realistic to Rey. The dark circles under Luke’s eyes and the way he hunched his shoulders made him look defeated. She wondered how much of it was an act.

"Here," Rey said, moving to pass the electronic release mechanism to Ben, but he shook his head. 

“Keep it,” Ben said. 

Rey’s pinched her brows together. “Won’t they expect you to have it?”

“Too suspicious," Ben explained. "It’s better if they don’t know we have one.”

“And if they find it on me?” Rey asked.

“They won’t,” Ben said, sounding more certain than Rey thought their circumstances justified. “I won’t let them search you.”

Rey sighed and put it in her pocket. “You should have the lightsaber.” She removed Luke’s lightsaber from her belt and held it out for Ben to take.

Ben took the lightsaber and stared at it. A troubled look passed over his face, and Rey remembered Ben's history with Luke's lightsaber. It was central to a moment that changed the course of his life, and she knew that the memory of its green glow haunted his dreams. He attached it to his belt next to his mother’s lightsaber. 

“Will they notice you have a different lightsaber?” Han asked.

Rey hadn't thought of that. Did the First Order find the red crossguard blade he threw away?

“They might,” Ben said, “but they’ll likely be too afraid to ask.”

Han raised his eyebrows. “Everyone?”

“Almost everyone.”

“What if–”

“Dad,” Ben said, cutting him off, “I’ll figure it out, and if we’re lucky, Hux will be there when we land.”

“How would that be _lucky?”_ Rey asked. Hux was ruthless and power hungry. The only reason he spied for the Resistance was because he hated Kylo Ren. She knew he would sabotage Ben at the first opportunity. 

Ben shrugged. “He hates me so much that he’ll be too distracted to notice.” 

Rey hoped he was right. 

...

They hailed the First Order ship. 

_“Identify yourself,”_ a man demanded.

“This is Kylo Ren,” Ben said in a low and dangerous voice. It was a voice that sent chills down her spine the first time she heard it. “I have an important prisoner.”

_“Kylo Ren is dead.”_

Rey's heart sank. This wasn’t going to work. 

_Trust me,_ Ben projected.

Rey nooded.

He shared his identity code. The only outward sign of his tension was the tightness in his jaw. He wasn't as collected as he was pretending to be.

Rey wanted to tell him that he didn't have to hide worries, not from her, but this wasn't the right time. 

There was a long pause. _“Confirmed.”_ The man’s voice trembled as he told them where to land.

Rey let out a breath. 

Ben turned off the comm and faced Han and Chewie. “Time for you both to hide.”

“Be careful,” Han said. 

Ben gave him a small smile. “It’ll be fine.” 

Han snorted. “I meant with my ship.”

“We’ll treat her well,” Rey said, appreciating Han’s attempt to lighten the mood. 

“We couldn’t do any more damage to the _Falcon_ than you have over the years,” Ben said. 

Chewie laughed, and Han glared at him. 

Han and Chewie had their own part to play in the plan, one that Rey had helped to shape. She knew how they could help the Resistance while the rest of them faced Snoke. 

...

Their landing was smooth. 

Ben took her hand. "Whatever I have to say, know that it's not real, that I–"

"I know," Rey said, giving his hand a squeeze.

"I won't turn against–"

"I don't like this plan, but I trust you."

Ben closed his eyes. 

Rey didn't like the way he had curled in on himself. She brought her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Ben opened his eyes. "And I don't want you to get hurt."

"We'll have to keep each other safe."

The last time she was on the _Supremacy_ Ben killed Snoke and they took out the Praetorian Guards together. With Luke’s help and the element of surprise, they had better odds.

She bit her lip. Better odds didn’t mean that they would succeed. 

...

Rey walked down the _Falcon's_ ramp at Ben's side. Luke was being dragged by Ben. 

She took in the sight of the _Supremacy's_ hangar, which was filled with ships. There was a surprising amount of silence in what she expected to be a busy space. 

They were met by a squadron of Stomtroopers.

“Is this the prisoner?” a Stormtrooper at the front asked. 

Rey didn’t miss the fact that they all had their weapons ready to fire. 

“Yes,” Ben confirmed, his voice steady. “I will bring him to the Supreme Leader.” 

"What is the meaning of this?" a familiar voice cried out. 

Rey looked up and saw Hux striding towards them, accompanied by even more Stormtroopers. 

“Hux,” Ben said, “perfect timing.” Even without the mask, he was an imposing figure. He held himself with confidence, and the black hood hid his expressive face behind shadows. 

“It’s _General_ Hux,” he said, his face reddening. “Perfect timing for what?” 

“To escort us to the Supreme Leader.” Ben sounded bored. 

Hux looked at Rey and Luke and then back at Ben. “And who is _us?”_

“Luke Skywarker is my prisoner,” Ben said, tugging on Luke’s arm so hard that Luke grunted from pain. 

Hux’s face stayed stony except for the slight twitch of his eye, which was the only outward sign of his irritation. “I see.” He looked at Rey. “And the girl?”

“A powerful Force user.”

Hux stared at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. “Is this the scavenger?” he asked, his eyes widening. “The one who escaped?”

“You’re wasting time,” Ben snapped. “The Supreme Leader won’t be pleased.”

Hux gave Rey a calculating look. “Fine,” he said in a clipped voice. “You owe the Supreme Leader an explanation.”

“And _he_ will get it.” 

...

Rey had been too intimidated last time to take in the sight of the throne room, and that's because the space was designed to be intimidating with its high ceiling and bright red backdrop. There was so much red. 

Snoke was sitting on his throne, wearing an ornate gold robe. He didn't look like someone who was ready for a fight, which was another intimidation tactic. His missing apprentice returned with Luke Skywalker and he didn't give off even a hint of surprise. 

He wanted to be seen as powerful all-knowing.

 _So why does he need the Praetorian Guard?_ Rey wondered. 

“Supreme Leader,” Hux said, kneeling before Snoke with his head bowed. “I have brought Kylo Ren, his prisoner Luke Skywalker, and the scavenger girl from Jakku.” 

“Leave us,” Snoke ordered Hux. 

“But–”

Snoke threw Hux across the room with the Force. 

Rey's eyes widened. This was how Snoke treated people who were loyal to him. How was he going to treat Ben?

Hux stood up carefully. It looked like his leg was injured. “Yes, Supreme Leader,” he said, and then he turned and walked out of the room. His posture was straight, but he had a slight limp. 

“Kylo Ren,” Snoke said, his voice oily. “The prodigal apprentice returns.”

Ben knelt down, forcing Luke to kneel as well. 

Rey followed his example. Her head was slightly bowed, but she was able to keep her eyes on Snoke. 

“Second thoughts about leaving?” Snoke asked. 

“Not at all,” Ben said.

_What is he doing?_

Snoke stood up. “Yet you’ve returned.”

“I saw an opportunity and I took it, and as you can see, it paid off. I have brought Skywalker.”

“You have,” Snoke said. "The legendary Luke Skywalker had been brought low. How does it feel?"

"You haven't won," Luke said.

"No?" Snoke asked. "Then why are you on your knees."

Luke didn't respond.

Snoke walked away from Luke. "That's what I thought." He stopped in front of Rey. “Why did you bring the girl?” he asked Ben. 

Rey looked at Ben. 

“She helped me bind Skywalker," Ben said, his head still bowed. 

Rey wondered at his word choice, but then realized he was using a familiar strategy. He was lying to Snoke by selectively telling the truth. 

Snoke gave her a long look, and she braced herself for him to tear into her mind again.

“We’ll deal with you later,” Snoke said.

Rey tried not to let her relief show.

Snoke sat back on his throne. 

“Kylo Ren, it’s time for you to finish what you failed to do all those years ago." Snoke was lounging, looking like a ruler that was dealing with nothing more than an irritation. "It’s time for you to fulfil your destiny by doing the one thing Darth Vader failed to do. It’s time for you to kill Luke Skywalker.”

"Killing me won't be a victory for you," Luke warned. "Death isn't the end."

Snoke gave a twisted smile. "Those are the desperate words of a dead man."

“Shouldn’t we interrogate him?” Ben asked.

“I expected you to be eager to kill him." Snoke tilted his head. _"Interesting."_

Rey's heart sped up. 

Ben looked up. "What's interesting?"

"I can sense how conflicted you are." Snoke was staring at Ben so intently that she wondered if he was looking into Ben's mind. "Ah," he said at last, "it's the girl isn't it?"

A chill went down Rey’s spine. 

"I don't know what you mean," Ben said in a flat voice.

"You're weak for her, you care what she thinks of you, and you want the girl to live.” Snoke sounded amused. 

Was it always like this? Did Snoke routinely mock Ben? Every time Snoke spoke, he gave her another reason to want him dead. 

“Yes,” Ben admitted. 

Rey felt Snoke's eyes on her. She tried to close off her mind, to keep him out. 

“Can she be turned?” Snoke asked. 

Ben hesitated. “There's darkness in her.”

Another truth, one that Rey was still coming to terms with. 

“I sense it too. So much anger.” Snoke said. “Girl, why are you here?”

“My name is Rey,” she said, and immediately regretted her words. 

Ben gave her a sharp look. 

Rey amended her answer. “I’m here because of Kylo Ren.”

Snoke walked towards her. “Your words ring true, but there is more to it than that.”

Rey swallowed. “What do you mean?”

Snoke was now standing directly in front of her. 

She wanted to talk to Ben, ask him what she should do, but she knew they couldn’t risk drawing attention to their bond. She put her hand in her pocket. 

Snoke put his hand on her face, and she shuddered in revulsion. “You say Kylo Ren, but on the surface of your mind is another name” – Rey’s breath caught in her throat – “an old name, one that I do not permit anyone to speak.”

Rey hit the electronic release mechanism and Luke’s cuffs fell off. 

...

Ben threw Luke his lightsaber. 

Before they could attack, the three of them were thrown back. 

Rey rolled on her side and then stood up quickly, ignoring the pain in her in her left arm. She was grateful she hadn’t landed on her right. 

The Praetorian Guard had them circled. 

Rey ignited her lightsaber and moved into a defensive stance. Ben and Luke did the same. 

Snoke raised his hand and the Praetorian Guard stopped. “Leave them to me.” Snoke pulled all three lightsabers towards him. 

Rey's breath caught in her throat. She had been wrong. Even with the three of them, Snoke had the advantage. 

...

Two of the Praetorian Guard held Rey and four held Ben. He continued to struggle, but was unable to break free.

Another Praetorian Guard approached her and brought the blade of their vibro-voulge to her neck. She winced, almost nicking herself on the blade. 

Ben's eyes widened and he stopped struggling. 

She tried to give him a reassuring smile. Fear was coming off him in waves. This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go. They were supposed to attack Snoke together. Snoke wasn't supposed to figure out their ruse so quickly. They hadn’t planned for him disarming them so easily. 

Snoke had Luke suspended in the air like he once did to her. He tore into Luke's mind, causing him to start screaming. 

_Did I sound like that?_

The first time she was here, Snoke tortured her. It had been nothing like when Ben forced his way into her mind. Snoke wasn’t careful. She had lingering nightmares for months.

Rey was surprised that Snoke had left her and Kylo to the Praetorian Guard, but then she realized something: Snoke was vulnerable like this.

 _He's not as powerful as he wants us to believe,_ Rey thought, projecting her words to Ben.

_Communicating this way is too dangerous._

_Not while he's focused on Luke,_ Rey explained, hoping she was right. _That's why he needs the Praetorian Guard to protect him. He can't fight all of us at once._

 _How can we use that to our advantage?_ Ben asked.

_Everything he does is showy. We need to distract him by giving him what he wants._

"Pathetic," Snoke said, dropping Luke's. 

One of the Praetorian Guard pointed their weapon at Luke's crumpled form. 

Luke wasn’t moving. She hoped he would recover quickly enough for when they needed to fight. They might not be able to defend him. 

"Skywalker, you'll get your wish," Snoke said. "The Jedi will end with you." He walked towards Ben. "Now you, master of the Knights of Ren, my formerly loyal apprentice, what should I do with you?"

"I've been weak," Ben said in a small voice.

"You have." Snoke sounded pleased by the admission. "I don't need an apprentice who can be seduced so easily by the Light."

"I want to be strong."

"You do. You know that only I can help you become strong."

"I do," Ben agreed.

"Kill Skywalker."

"What about–"

“I don’t care about the girl," Snoke said, spitting out the words. "Kill Skywalker and I will give you one last chance." Snoke gave Ben Luke's lightsaber. "Use this. It's fitting that he dies by his own blade."

"I will kill my true enemy," Ben said. 

The Praetorian Guard let Ben go. 

“I sense your resolve," Snoke said. "You know who your true enemy is.”

Ben raised the lightsaber above Luke.

Rey saw the look of triumph on Snoke's face. That look quickly changed into surprise.

Ben had ignited his mom's lightsaber, stabbing Snoke in the back. 

Rey took advantage of the surprise to call her own lightsaber and break free of the Praetorian Guard whose blade had been against her neck. 

Snoke was dead. Now they needed to escape. 

… … ...

Finn hoped that they weren’t too late. He had made it onto the _Supremacy_ with Rose and Paige, and Rose was now trying to disrupt the First Order's hyperspace tracking. They snuck on board with the help of the master codebreaker Maz had recommended. He had declined to come with them, but he gave them the tools they needed. 

Not everyone was willing to risk themselves for the Resistance. 

"How much longer?" Paige asked. She kept looking at the door. 

Rose's jaw clenched. "Not long if you stop distracting me."

Paige went silent and shared a look with Finn. They knew how high the stakes were and saw how much pressure Rose was putting on herself.

Finn knew better than to say anything, but they didn't have much time. If it took much longer, they would either be caught or there wouldn't be a Resistance left to–

"I did it!" Rose said.

Paige wrapped her arms around her sister. “I knew you could do it.”

Finn let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. He turned on his comm. “Poe, are you there?”

 _“Tell me you have good news,”_ Poe said. 

“We did it,” Finn confirmed, smiling. 

_“Great,”_ Poe said, _“we’ll leave as soon as you make it back.”_

Finn’s heart sped up. “You only have one system cycle.”

_“I know. You need to hurry.”_

“We will.” Finn swallowed. “But promise me you’ll leave if we don’t make it in time.”

_“Finn–”_

“This will have been for nothing if the Resistance doesn’t escape,” Finn said sharply. 

_“But–”_

“He’s right,” Paige said. “Promise us that the Resistance will escape.”

 _“Fine,”_ Poe said after a pause, _“but please hurry. You’re all heros. Don’t become martyrs.”_

“We’ll try,” Finn said. Sneaking off the _Supremacy_ would be more difficult than sneaking on board. 

…

On the way to the escape pods they almost bumped into a group of Stormtoopers. They would have been caught if Paige hadn't pulled them into an alcove. Finn thought one of the Stormtroopers saw him, but they all walked past.

"That was close," Rose said. 

Finn saw Rose's eyes widen. Paige reacted first, pointing her blaster at whatever Rose saw. 

Finn turned around, his own blaster at the ready, and saw a Stormtooper who had his hands raised in surrender. 

"Don't shoot!" The Stormtrooper had a familiar voice. 

"Who are you?" Finn asked. 

"I'm going to take this helmet off," the Stormtrooper said, and he took off his helmet slowly.

Finn's eyes widened. _"Solo,"_ he said, lowering his weapon. 

Paige lowered hers too. 

“What are you doing here?” Rose asked. 

“Looking for you," Han said. "Rey told me I might find you here.”

Finn’s mouth dropped open slightly. “How did she–”

“I don’t question Force users." Han shrugged. "Gives me a headache. Let’s get out of here.” He nodded in the opposite direction of the escape pods.

“We were going to take an escape pod,” Paige said. 

Han smiled. “The _Falcon_ is faster.”

Han Solo wanted to escape the _Supremacy_ on the _Millenium Falcon,_ one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy. Finn had his doubts, but he didn’t voice them. Han had been lucky in the past. 

And a feeling told Finn to follow his lead. 

…

They made it to the hangar without being caught and Finn could see the _Falcon._ They were hiding behind a crate near the wall of the busy hangar. All they had to do was make it a few more meters and they would be on the _Falcon._

"FN-2187," a voice behind him said. "It's good to see you."

He turned around slowly and saw Phasma and a small group of Stormtroopers pointing their weapons at them. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been blown away by the response to the first chapter. Thank you for reading!

Rose wanted to make a run for it, but she knew the risk was too high, so she stood frozen, watching and waiting for an opening to act. 

"Phasma," Finn said, his voice steady, "I wish I could say it was good to see you."

"Put down your weapons," Phasma ordered, pointing her weapon at Finn. 

The Stormtroopers had their weapons pointed at the rest of them. 

Rose made eye contact with her sister. Paige's teeth were biting down on her bottom lip. She gave Rose a slight nod and started lowering her blaster.

Rose's heart was pounding in her chest. She slowly put her blaster on the ground and raised her hands. 

"You're lucky," Phasma continued. "You won't be executed until we get answers."

Finn's looked tense. "I'm not telling you anything."

It looked like Phasma shrugged, but it was hard to tell through her armour. "Traitor, we only need one of you alive to get answers. Who should we kill first?"

Han snorted.

"Is something funny?" Phasma asked.

"Yes," Han said. He had a smirk on his face. 

"Are you going to elaborate?"

"Sure," Han said. "You First Order types could use some humour in your lives."

Rose didn't know how they could get out of this situation, so she hoped Han knew something she didn't. It was unlikely that Phasma or one of the Stormtroopers had time to alert anyone to their presence, but they weren't alone in the hangar. Any escape attempt would draw attention.

"Well?" Phasma prompted. 

"You think you have us at a disadvantage," Han said. 

Phasma sighed. "You're stalling." She nodded at one of the Stormtroopers. "Shoot him first."

Han lowered his arms and put his hands out. "You're not even going to get my name first?"

"The dead need no names." Phasma kept her weapon trained on Finn. Rose guessed that he was her main priority, that she wanted to make an example of him. "Fire," Phasma ordered.

The Stormtrooper moved to fire, but was hit by a blast of plasma energy. 

…

Rose used the distraction to grab her blaster and run towards the _Falcon._ Paige was at her side and Finn and Han were followed behind them. 

Han stopped running, drawing the attention of Phasma and the Stormtoopers, providing a distraction for the rest of them. "Go," he said. 

Rose looked at her sister and Finn. "We're too exposed."

"Follow me," Finn said, leading them away from Han and the _Falcon._ “We should be able to sneak behind the _Falcon_ if we go this way."

"Are you sure about this?" Paige asked as she followed Finn through the narrow opening between two out of commission ships.

"Not really," Finn admitted, "but I don't think anyone saw us go this way. If we remain out of sight, we’ll have a chance." 

Rose followed Finn and her sister until they were behind the ships. Stormtroopers were guarding the entrance to the _Falcon._ "How do we–"

“Who are you?” Phasma's voice rang out. 

Rose stilled. She hoped Han had a plan. 

“I thought I was a dead man?” Han asked. 

Rose heard blaster fire, but that sound wasn't enough to tell her what was happening. She moved to the edge of the ship, trying to get a look at what was happening.

Phasma was striding forward. “You’re alive for now,” she said. 

Rose couldn't see Han, but she guessed he was who Phasma had her blaster pointed at.

“I'm planning on staying alive," Han said. 

_I don’t want to tell Ben his dad died,_ Rose thought. _I hope Han knows what he’s doing._

"Your odds aren't good," Phasma warned. 

"I'm Han Solo” – Rose heard the grin in his voice – “and that's never stopped me before.”

"I should have known." Phasma shook her head. "Only Han Solo would be stupid enough to come to the _Supremacy."_ She had to jump back to avoid another plasma blast.

Rose still didn't know who was providing cover, but whoever they were, she was grateful. Their well timed shot had saved Han's life and given the rest of them the opportunity to escape. 

And their shots continued to keep Han safe. 

Paige grabbed Rose's arm and tugged her in the direction of another ship. This one was beside the _Falcon._ Finn's plan was to hide behind the _Falcon_ , wait until the Stormtroopers guarding it were distracted, and quietly take them out before slipping onto the _Falcon_ unnoticed. 

It was the best plan they had. 

...

Rose's heart sank. More Stormtroopers were waiting for them behind the _Falcon._

She fired at them, hitting one, but it wasn’t enough. There were too many for her, Paige, and Finn to take alone. Whoever had been providing them cover was busy keeping Han safe. They were on their own.

They had to run.

…

Rose's jaw dropped. The blaster fire had frozen midair. 

Her sister's eyes widened, and Finn's grip on his blaster tightened.

"Kylo Ren," Phasma's voice rang out, "what are you doing?"

Rose turned to see what was happening, and she saw _Ben Solo_ with his left hand out, using the Force to stop the blaster fire. 

Rose narrowed her eyes. _Why had Phasma called him Kylo Ren? Shouldn't she know who Kylo–_

"Helping the Resistance escape," Ben said, answering to the name Kylo Ren. It was then that Rose noticed what he was wearing. All in black, he was dressed in a long tunic, holding a lightsaber – not yet ignited – in his right hand. His presence had always been intense, but he had never looked dangerous like he did now. 

"He can't be Kylo Ren," Paige said. 

Rose wanted to agree with her sister, but doubt had crept in as she watched Ben and Phasma interact. 

"He _is_ Kylo Ren," Finn confirmed. 

Rose didn't want to believe Finn, but the evidence was on his side. She didn't understand how someone so emotional, so human, could be Kylo Ren. She had told him what the First Order did to her home, to her family, and he had said nothing. She had thought they were becoming friends. She had thought he understood her, and she thought she was starting to understand him. 

_I was wrong._

Rose swallowed. "How do you know–"

Finn cut her off. "I'll explain later. We need to take advantage of the distraction." His voice was low enough that only her and Paige could hear.

Rose knew he was right. Even though she was desperate to know how Finn knew Ben was Kylo Ren and _she_ didn't, the truth could wait. 

"Can he stop more blasts from hitting us?" Paige asked. 

"I don't know," Finn said, "but I don't want to risk him missing any."

One well placed hit was all it took to kill.

"We need to wait," Paige said. "He has everyone's attention, but if we move, we'll be noticed. When the right moment comes, we need to get out of here."

"You're right," Finn agreed. 

…

"You're on the losing side,” Ben said, taunting Phasma. “You can still join us."

"You're a fool," Phasma said. 

"I was," Ben agreed, "but I'm seeing things more clearly now."

 _Is he on our side?_ Rose asked herself. She didn't know what to believe.

"You may have the advantage, but you can't take on the entire First Order. When back-up arrives–"

Ben smiled. "You're not the only one with back-up."

… … …

Killing Snoke for the second time hadn’t been as satisfying as the first time. All Ben felt was relief.

He looked over at Rey and was amazed by how much she had learned in such a short time. The first time they fought the Praetorian Guard together had been exhilarating, but this was on another level. There was a beautiful ferocity to Rey’s movements. Her style, which had once mimicked his, had developed into a style that relied more on speed than strength. 

They didn’t need words to communicate. It was like they were two halves of one whole. 

Like they were a dyad in the Force. 

For all his research, he didn’t know what it _meant_ to be a dyad in the Force. Now that they were on the same side they could learn together. 

Rey elbowed the Praetorian Guard he didn't realize was at his side, giving Ben the opening he needed to stab him. 

Fighting with his mom’s lightsaber was different than his old crossguard saber. It was lighter, which meant that he had to use more strength to hit his opponents with the same harsh blows he was accustomed to using. The stability was also different. 

He found that he didn’t mind the differences. The stability of his new saber encouraged him to take a more measured approach. Instead of fighting with reckless abandon and drawing strength from the pain of his injuries, he went on the defenice more often, which prevented unnecessary injuries. 

Keeping the Praetorian Guard away from Luke was an added complication, but he was strong enough to stand on his own. He was leaning against Snoke's thone, his green lightsaber out, ready to defend himself. 

Luke must have exaggerated how hurt he was. Ben was relieved they wouldn't have to carry him out of here. 

He told himself that was the _only_ reason he was relieved.

There were only three Praetorian Guards left. Rey was fighting two and he was fighting one. 

Ben spun away from his opponent and went on the defensive. He wanted to lull him into a false sense of security and then strike. 

The Guard leaned forward too far as he advanced. 

Ben kicked his opponent, knocking him off balance. 

The Guard tried to stab him with his electro-bisento, but Ben flipped over him and stabbed him from behind. 

He looked over at Rey and saw she was only fighting one Praetorian Guard. Where had the other gone?

He heard a cry and saw the Praetorian Guard had Luke cornered. Ben ran towards them and heard a pained grunt. 

Ben let out a relieved breath. The sound came from the Praetorian Guard. Luke had sliced through the Guard’s stomach.

Ben turned to Rey and saw that she had already taken out the last Praetorian Guard. They had won. 

… 

Ben ran to Rey and embraced her.

She wrapped her arms around him. “We did it,” Rey said, breathing heavily. 

“Did you doubt us?” he asked with a false sense of bravado. _He_ had doubted them. 

Rey leaned back and looked up at him. “That was closer than I would have liked. Don’t tell me that this went the way you planned.”

“It didn’t,” Ben admitted reluctantly, “but it still worked.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

Luke coughed. “Not to, uh... interrupt, but we still need to get out of here.”

Ben sighed and dropped his hand. 

Rey let go of him, putting some space between the two of them. “What’s the fastest way back to the _Falcon?”_ she asked.

“Fast isn’t going to be enough to get us out of here. We’re going to have to come up with a good lie.” Ben looked at Luke. “Nobody is going to let us leave with you. There will be questions.”

“So we don’t let them ask any questions,” Rey said.

“What do you have in mind?” Luke asked. 

Rey bit her lip. “We need a distraction.”

…

Ben hoped his distraction had given Rey and Luke enough time. Now he had to find a way to save his dad and Rey’s Resistance friends. 

He looked at the _Falcon_ and made eye contact with Chewie who was providing cover while partially hidden behind the main sensor antenna on the top of the _Falcon._ He was using the same bowcaster that he had once used against Ben. 

But that was in another time. This Chewie had never shot him. He hadn’t given Chewie a _reason_ to shoot him.

His body was free of that scar, but like so many others, his mind wasn’t. 

…

Hux entered the hangar followed by more Stormtoopers. “Surrender!”

Ben ignited his lightsaber. “Why would I do that?” he asked. He could handle Hux. 

“We have you surrounded,” Hux said with a hint of disbelief. He had always underestimated Ben. 

Ben shrugged. “I thought you would have brought some real fire power.”

Hux’s face turned red. “You killed the Supreme Leader.”

“Exactly,” Ben said. “I thought you’d want your revenge.”

“I will get my–”

An explosion went off just like they had planned. 

Ben ran towards the _Falcon,_ deflecting blaster bolts with his lightsaber and pushing Stormtroopers away with the Force. 

His dad and the Resistance members made it onto the _Falcon_ first. 

“You will pay,” Hux yelled. 

“Wrong again.” Ben closed the boarding ramp. He hoped the _Falcon_ was ready to depart. 

…

Rose screamed.

Ben ran in the direction of the sound. 

He saw Rose pressing fabric against Paige’s stomach and Finn opening a medkit. 

Paige had been shot.

Ben’s chest tightened. He moved forward to help.

"Don't touch her," Rose said sharply. 

Ben flinched and stepped back.

“She’s breathing,” Finn said. He put a blanket under Paige’s head. 

Rey arrived. She took in the scene and covered her mouth with her hand.

Finn flexed Paige’s knees, taking the pressure off her abdomen. His Stormtooper training was being put to good use. 

Ben needed to know what was happening. “Did Luke–”

“He’s flying the _Falcon_ with your dad," Rey said, still staring at Paige. "Chewie is manning the guns.”

The blood had bled through the fabric Rose had wrapped around her sister’s stomach. Paige didn’t have much time. 

Unless…

 _Is this what you saw?_ Ben asked Rey so that only she could hear.

_What?_

_In your vision. Could we have been healing Paige?_

Rey’s brows pinched together. _Maybe. It’s hard to tell…_

If he hadn’t wasted time baiting Hux, they could have escaped sooner and Paige wouldn’t have been shot. _We need to try._

Rey nodded. 

Ben stepped towards Paige. 

Rose looked up at him, and he saw tears pooling in her eyes. “Go away,” she said.

“We can help,” Ben said. 

Rose added more fabric and continued pressing down on Paige’s wound. 

Finn turned to him. “How?” he asked. 

“Rey and I can heal her.”

Finn furrowed his brow. “Have you done something like this before?”

“No,” Ben admitted, grimacing. 

"Finn, he's right,” Rey said, walking towards her friend. “We can help."

Finn glanced back at Paige and then spoke to Rey. "I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?" Rey asked. 

Finn nodded. "Rose,” he said, getting her attention, “we should let them try."

Rose shook her head. “He could hurt her.”

Ben knelt beside Paige. “I want to help her,” he said, hoping Rose believed him. 

Rose stared at him for a moment and then nodded. “Do what you can,” she said, her voice thick.

…

Rey joined Ben at Paige’s side. 

Rose was still applying pressure to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. 

Finn was checking Paige’s pulse. 

Ben had been so certain that they could heal Paige with the Force, but a hint of doubt crept in. _What if we make this worse?_

 _We won’t,_ Rey said. 

He hadn’t realized he had projected his thought. 

Ben took a deep breath and put his hand over Paige’s wound. 

Rey covered his hand with hers.

He closed his eyes. 

…

Ben saw a bright light and heard the Force hum. It felt like _life._

Rey’s hand was warm against his. 

It was working. He felt life passing through him and into Paige. 

...

Someone pulled him back. 

Ben opened his eyes and saw Finn staring at him with wide eyes. 

Paige wasn’t fully healed yet. He moved towards her. 

Finn grabbed his arm. “Stop,” he said. 

Ben looked at him. 

“You’ve healed her enough,” Finn said. “Both of you have done enough.” 

Rey took his hand in hers. She was paler than he had ever seen her. 

Ben felt lightheaded. 

… 

Ben locked himself in the refresher. He was cleaning the blood off of his hands. 

_We almost lost Paige._

The way Rose looked at him when she told him not to touch her sister was at the forefront of his mind. 

_She blames me._

And she was right to blame him. If he had been paying more attention to them and less to Hux, he could have stopped the blast from hitting Paige. 

There was a knock at the door. 

He ignored it. 

There was another knock. “It’s me,” Rey said from the other side of the refresher door. 

Ben opened the door and Rey came inside, closing the door behind her. There was more colour in her skin, but she was still pale. 

Rey started washing her hands.

...

There had been less blood on Rey’s hands than there had been on Ben’s, so they didn’t take long to clean. 

He didn’t think his hands would ever be clean. 

“We saved her,” Rey said in a gentle voice. 

Ben swallowed. “She wouldn’t have been in danger if it wasn’t for me.”

Rey brought her hand to his face. It was still damp. “This wasn’t your fault,” she said. 

“I could have stopped the blast from hitting her.”

Rey stroked his cheek with her thumb. “I met Paige for the first time when we came back.”

“You did?” he asked. 

“Last time she died in the evacuation of D’Qar,” Rey explained. “She was the bomber who took out the _Fulminatrix.”_

“That didn’t happen this time.” More had changed than he had realized. 

“No, it didn’t,” Rey said. 

Ben let out a deep breath. “That doesn’t mean that I didn’t make a mistake.” 

“Not everything is your fault.” Rey pinched her lips together. “You didn’t shoot Paige.”

“Rose and Finn wouldn’t agree with you,” he said, shaking his head. 

Rey raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure about that?”

“You saw how they–”

Rey dropped her hand. “Finn doesn’t like you and Rose is in shock, but neither of them blame you for Paige.” She put her hand on his arm. “It was out of your control.”

Rey had a point, but he still blamed himself. His plan had put everyone in danger. He had thought that it would be easy to repeat past victories, but too much had changed. They couldn’t rely on their past knowledge to predict the future. 

“How’s Paige?” he asked, covering Rey’s hand with his. 

Rey gave him a slight smile. “She woke up for a moment, but is resting again.”

“Good.” When Finn stopped them from continuing to heal, Ben hadn’t thought they had done enough. Paige waking up, even for only a moment, was a good sign.

“Healing her was your idea,” Rey said. 

Ben squeezed her hand. “Only because of your vision.”

“It was your idea and it _worked,”_ Rey said. “They will remember that.”

…

Ben needed more time before he could face the others. Rose now knew who he was, and he felt guilty about lying to her. She had been kind to him because she had thought he was Ben Solo. She wouldn’t have been kind to Kylo Ren. 

He didn’t deserve kindness from someone who lost their home and parents to the First Order. 

Finn had given him a look after he stopped him from healing Paige more that he didn’t know how to interpret. It had almost looked like concern, but that couldn’t be right. 

Rey told him they couldn’t stay in the refresher and led him to the forward hold. He swayed a bit as he walked. Healing Paige had taken more energy out of him than he had realized. 

Rey sat him down on an overturned box and sat across from him on a small crate. “Everyone survived,” she said. 

“Did the Resistance get away?” he asked, hoping for some good news. 

Rey’s eyes were bright. “The _Raddus_ jumped to hyperspeed before we did,” she said with a smile. “They won’t be tracked.”

“And us?” he asked. While he was relieved that the Resistance got away, he was concerned that they were now the main target of the First Order. It didn’t help that they were in one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy. 

“I don’t think we’re being tracked,” Rey said. “Chewie stayed with the Falcon while we were gone. He says that Stormtoopers guarded the ship, but they didn’t board it.” She gave him a pointed look. “You must have a reputation.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Ben snorted. 

Rey frowned. “Your dad says it’s too dangerous to meet up with the Resistance.”

“He’s right.” Ben sighed. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know, but your dad seems confident about the destination he has in mind,” Rey said. It didn’t sound like she was as confident as his dad was. 

“He always _seems_ confident,” Ben said. “That’s the key.” 

“You two have that in common,” Rey said, her voice dry. 

Ben wrinkled his brow. He’d rarely been told he was similar to his dad. The comparisons had always been to the Force users in his family – initially, his mom and Luke. 

And later his grandfather. 

“I know you weren’t as confident about your plan as you pretended to be,” Rey continued. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“I know,” he said. “I’m not used to admitting to weakness.”

Snoke taught him that he had to be strong.

Rey leaned forward. “Uncertainty isn’t weakness.”

“Snoke taught me it was.” Ben looked down. “It’ll take me a long time to unlearn the lessons he taught me.”

“I know,” Rey said. “Let me help you.”

He looked back up at her and nodded. 

Ben didn’t know how he ended up here. He knew he didn’t deserve a second chance, didn’t deserve to have someone look at him with affection like Rey did. 

Deserved or not, he wasn’t going to waste his chance.


	3. Chapter 3

Rey knew that they had gotten lucky. There were so many instances where their confrontation with Snoke, their fight with the Praetorian Guard, or their escape from the _Supremacy_ could have gone so much worse. 

If Ben hadn’t made the connection between Paige’s injury and her vision, Paige wouldn’t have survived.

Rey still felt lightheaded. 

Leia had taught her some basic healing and the ancient Jedi texts taught her a little more, but she had never heard of anyone healing someone as close to death as Paige was. Minor wounds were one thing, but major bleeding and organ damage was another. 

While healing Paige, Rey had felt so attuned to the Force that she lost her sense of self. The feeling of her hand against Ben’s was the only thing that kept her grounded in the present. 

She didn’t think she would have stopped healing Paige if Finn hadn’t pulled her away, and she knew Ben wouldn’t have. Even after he had been pulled away, he had tried to heal her more. 

Healing Paige was the right thing to do, but it had been far more dangerous than she had anticipated. When her power was combined with Ben’s, they were able to use the Force in extraordinary ways. They were so much more powerful together, but they were also so much more vulnerable. 

That power came with a price, and she suspected it was a price she was unwilling to pay. 

Using the Force and their bond to heal had weakened her and Ben. Without Finn they both could have… she didn’t want to think of the possibilities. She knew she would have to, but that could come later. They had time. 

_How did Finn know to stop us?_

She would have to ask him. Until they knew more, they needed to avoid recklessly using new Force powers, especially ones from her vision. 

Rey shivered. 

Her vision had been a warning and it was coming true. Palpatine’s voice echoed in her mind. 

_You’ve brought me everything I need._

…

Rey left Ben in the cockpit with Han, Chewie, and Luke. Ben choosing to spend time with Luke showed how uncomfortable the idea of facing the others made him. 

Rey wanted to stay with him, but she also wanted to check on Paige and see Rose and Finn. 

Han and Chewie would look after him. 

Walking to the crew quarters took more out Rey than she was comfortable with. She needed to talk to Ben about what they did and the effect it had on them both. Maybe he knew more than she did. 

And if he _didn’t,_ there was always Luke. 

Rey opened the door to the crew quarters and saw Paige lying in a bunk with her eyes open. Rose was sitting at the foot of the same bunk. 

Rose turned to Rey. “Thank you for healing Paige.”

Rey sat down on the bunk across from them. “We had to try.” She tried not to show how weak she still felt. “I’m relieved it worked.”

“Me too,” Paige said, her voice sounding hoarse. 

The refresher door opened and Finn came out with a damp cloth that he handed to Rose. 

Rose brought the cloth to Paige’s forehead, wiping the sweat away. 

“I can do that myself.” Paige tried to grab the cloth from Rose. 

“You almost died.” Rose gave Paige a look that could have cowed even the most senior officer. “Humor me.”

Paige sighed. “Fine, but only because it’ll make you feel better.” She looked at Rey. “Thanks to you and Ben I’m almost at one hundred percent.”

“More like sixty,” Rose scoffed. 

Paige smiled. “Thanks for agreeing with me. Sixty is closer to one hundred than zero.”

“Don’t talk to me about zero,” Rose said, her voice raising in pitch.

Finn sat next to Rey. “They’ve been like this for a while,” he said in a low voice. 

Rey raised her eyebrows. “Is this how siblings act?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Finn said. “Maybe it’s a good sign? This could be how they show affection.”

Rey looked back at Rose and Paige who were still arguing. “Rose _does_ look less scared,” she said in what she hoped was low enough of a voice that Rose couldn’t hear.

“It’s hard to tell,” Finn said with a fond smile. “Rose had a _temper.”_

Rose glared at Finn. “I _heard_ that.”

 _“See,”_ Finn said, waving at Rose.

Paige laughed. “He’s not wrong.”

“You get a free pass,” Rose said to Paige. She looked at Finn. “You don’t.”

Finn put his hands up in surrender. “Fine. You don’t have a temper.”

Rose nodded. 

Finn leaned closer to Rey. “I said that because I’m afraid of her temper.”

Rey laughed. She had missed Finn and Rose while she was on Ahch-To. She still missed how close they all grew in the year after Crait, but the easy affection they were all sharing allowed her to hope they would get that back. 

…

Rey had shifted back into the bunk so that she could lean against the wall and cross her legs. Her energy had _finally_ started to return to normal. 

Short-term energy loss was a price she was willing to pay for Paige’s life. 

But she feared that they had almost paid a much higher price. 

Finn looked at Rey and furrowed his brow. “Are you okay?”

Rey nodded and gave him a smile that she knew didn’t reach her eyes. 

“We need to talk about Ben,” Rose said. 

Rey tensed. They had kept the conversation lighthearted up until this point, but she knew it was coming. 

“Finn already told us that you both knew Ben was Kylo Ren,” Rose continued. “Why didn’t you tell me? You both had plenty of opportunities.”

“General Organa wanted us to keep it a secret,” Finn said, looking down. 

“That’s true,” Rey agreed, “but that’s not the only reason I didn’t tell you.” Her breathing sped up. 

Finn’s eyes widened slightly. “It wasn’t?”

Rey shook her head. “I wanted him to have the opportunity to get to know people without them making assumptions about who he was.”

“Wasn’t he still Kylo Ren a week ago?” Paige asked. 

Rose narrowed her eyes. “And didn’t he take you prisoner?” 

Rey bit her lip. They were right, but at the same time they weren’t. In this time it had only been a week, but for her and Ben it had been over a year. So much had happened that she couldn’t reveal without telling them about their original timeline. 

The more time Rey spent in the past, the less certain she was that her memories were anything more than a vision. She needed to talk to Ben about this. 

Everyone was looking at her and waiting for her answer. 

Rey crossed her arms. “It’s complicated,” she said, knowing that her answer was inadequate. 

“Does this have something to do with the Force?” Finn asked, surprising Rey with his question. 

“It does.” Rey’s heart rate increased. She didn’t know how much to reveal because she didn’t know what the consequences of revealing too much would be. “We have a connection.”

“What does that mean?” Paige asked. 

Rey took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, giving herself time to think before she answered. “It means that we can sense each other, talk to each other–”

“Sense each other?” Rose asked, cutting Rey off. “Sense what?”

“Thoughts, feelings…” Rey shrugged. “It’s hard to explain.”

“The two of you seem to have a weird understanding,” Finn said. Out of everyone in the room, Finn had spent the most time with her and Ben so it made sense that he picked up on that.

“We do,” Rey said. 

“Does this have anything to do with how you saw into each other’s minds when he held you prisoner?” Finn asked in a soft voice. 

Rose and Paige shared a concerned look. 

“At first I thought so, but…” Rey hesitated. Her bond with Ben was so personal. Part of her wanted to selfishly keep it to herself, but she knew that they needed to know more. Ben deserved to be seen as more than just Kylo Ren. “We’ve always had this connection.”

Finn leaned forward. “Always?”

Rey nodded. “It was only recently that we started to understand what our connection meant.”

“Did you learn something on Ahch-To?” Rose asked. 

“Too much to explain now,” Rey said. 

“You don’t have to tell us,” Paige said. “If it’s too painful–”

“No,” Rey interrupted, “it’s not painful. It’s personal and I don’t know how to put it into words.” Rey looked down at her lap. “I want to explain.”

“Maybe you can start with how it feels,” Rose said. “If it’s not painful, what is it?”

Rey looked up at Rose and smiled. “It feels _right,”_ she explained. “Ben sees me – the good and the bad – and he cares about me.”

“And you care about him,” Rose said, her eyes widening with realization.

Rey swallowed. “I do.”

Rose looked down at Paige and then back at Rey. “Finding out Ben was Kylo Ren made me feel so stupid, like I was a fool–”

Finn cut Rose off. “You’re not a fool.”

Rose gave Finn a slight smile. “I won’t be able to go back to seeing Ben the way I did before. I can’t forget that he’s Kylo Ren.” 

“That’s fair,” Rey said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. It wasn’t that Rose was in the wrong. It was that Rey had been so heartened to see Ben becoming friends with someone, and now that friendship was broken.

“But,” Rose continued, “he saved my sister. I’ll give him the chance to prove to me that Ben wasn’t a deception.”

“He’ll be happy to hear that,” Rey said. 

“I need time before I can give him that chance.” Rose bit her lip. “Can you tell him that for me?”

Rey nodded. “He might not believe me, but I’ll try.”

“Even with your… _connection?”_ Paige asked. 

“Ben has a hard time believing anything good,” Rey said, not wanting to reveal anything too personal. Ben’s story was his own. “He’s been through a lot.”

…

The conversation with Finn, Paige, and Rose had gone better than Rey had anticipated. She knew they wouldn’t readily accept Ben. They had valid reasons to be wary of him. 

Rose would be the most difficult for Ben to win over. She’d trusted him, but now that trust was fractured. Paige had been surprised – not hurt – by his deception, and Finn had known who he was for much longer. 

Rey suspected that Finn knew more than he let on. Not that she knew _what_ it was that Finn knew or _how_ he knew it. 

…

Rey joined Ben and Han in the cockpit. She didn’t know where Chewie and Luke had disappeared to. 

It was good to see Ben and Han growing more comfortable around one another. Ben was still haunted by the memory of killing his father. Changing the past didn’t change Ben’s memories, but he could make new memories that would hopefully one day have more power than the bad memories. 

Han was riddled with guilt. He didn’t say anything to her, but Rey could see it in his face every time he let his guard down. Like his son, Han wasn’t good at hiding his emotions. 

“We’re going to be landing soon,” Han said. 

“Where are we going?” Ben asked. 

“Pasaana,” Han answered. 

“Why _Pasaana?”_ Rey asked. Going back to Pasaana gave her and Ben the opportunity to find the Sith dagger before anyone else. They didn't need it to find either of ther Sith wayfinders, but if they could stop anyone else from finding them first, they would have an advantage. 

Han tilted his head. “You’ve heard of it?”

“A bit,” Rey said, feeling caught out. “Are we going to the Festival of the Ancestors?”

“Too early for that.” Han smirked. “We’re visiting an old friend.”

 _He means Lando Calrissian,_ Rey realized. 

Lando must have already been on Pasaana when Leia contacted him. It was fortunate that Rey, Chewie, Finn, and Poe had his help getting away from the First Order and finding Ochi’s starship. They never would have found the dagger without Lando’s help. 

“What friend?” Ben asked. 

“Telling would take the fun out of it,” Han said. “You’ll have to wait until we land.”

Ben huffed. 

Han raised his eyebrows. “You never did like surprises.” He shared a smile with Rey. “I promise this is a good surprise.”

Ben crossed his arms. He seemed to regress in maturity around his father, which in other circumstances could be irritating, but the way he acted with Han was similar to how Rose and Paige acted. When Rey imagined her family returning, she never imagined them baiting each other, but that’s because she didn’t know how families acted. 

Her heart squeezed. She was always on the outside looking in. She’d have to get used to it. 

_You know who we’re meeting, don’t you?_ Ben asked.

Rey smiled. _I do._

_Well?_

_Like your dad said, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise._

Ben leaned back in his seat. _Fine._

“Did you two know that you go weirdly silent and intense sometimes?” Han asked. 

Rey felt her face heat up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Han raised his eyebrows. “Leia and Luke did the same thing. I know you are talking in your heads.”

Rey looked at Ben and he shrugged. 

“Keep your secrets if you want,” Han continued. “Just know you aren’t as subtle as you think you are.”

...

Han said he was going to go check on the others, which Rey assumed was his not-so-subtle way of giving them some time alone. 

“How are you feeling?” Ben asked as soon as the door shut.

“Better,” Rey said. “You?”

“The same," he said, and Rey belived him. He looked much more steady. 

“Why do you think healing Paige left us so weak?” 

“I don’t know.” Ben sighed. “I think we’ll need to ask Luke.”

“Maybe there’s something in the books?” she asked, knowing that it was difficult for him to spend time with Luke.

Ben frowned. “Luke knows something about what it means to be a dyad. We’ll have to talk to him eventually.”

“I can talk to him alone,” Rey offered. 

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “things are better between us.”

 _Maybe,_ Rey thought, _but you don't trust each other._ They both were uncomfortably tense when they were in the same room. 

“They’re not good,” Rey said.

“There’s no chance of that ever happening, but we’ve... come to an _understanding.”_

Rey raised her eyebrows. “Did this happen when you were both agreeing that the best plan to infiltrate the _Supremacy_ was for you to pretend to be Kylo Ren and take Luke prisoner?”

“I will admit to taking _some_ enjoyment from having Luke as my prisoner,” Ben said.

“Ben!” Rey lightly swatted his arm. “You don’t mean that.”

Ben snoted. “No, I was too terrified of something going wrong to enjoy any part of that plan.”

“It worked,” she reminded him. 

Ben looked down. “It almost didn’t.”

“We’ll both be miserable if we focus on the what-ifs." 

“You told us about Paige,” Ben said, changing the topic. “How was Rose?”

“Better now that Paige is doing better.”

“Good,” he said. Ben looked like he wanted to say more, but he kept quiet. 

“Rose needs time before she’ll be ready to talk to you.”

Ben’s eyes widened. “You think she’ll talk to me.”

Rey leaned forward and took his hand. “She told me to let you know that she will give you a chance to show her who you are.”

“That’s better than I hoped,” Ben said. “Can you let her know that she can take as long as she needs and that if she changes her mind… that’s okay too?”

“I will,” Rey promised.

...

They had finally landed. 

As Rey exited the _Falcon_ , she took in the familiar sights of the sun-bleached dunes and the towering granite and sandstone buttes. 

She looked over at Chewie and her throat went dry. This is where she had thought she had killed him. This is where she had lost control and killed with Force lightning. 

Ben touched her arm, which brought her attention back to the present. 

Rey leaned into his touch and smiled up at him. They had come a long way since the first time they were on Pasaana. 

Paige had insisted on walking, and Rose had reluctantly agreed with the caveat that Paige had to allow Rose to help her walk. Paige leaned on her sister and moved slowly, which was more than Rey had expected her to be able to do. Even with her having been one of the people who helped heal Paige, Rey was surprised by how much Paige recovered. 

Having checked-in with Paige and Rose, Finn joined Rey and Ben. “There’s nothing here,” he said, sounding disappointed. “I thought we might meet up with at least some of the Resistance.”

“Han brought us here for a reason,” Rey said. 

“One he didn’t bother _explaining_ to any of us,” Ben said. 

“If you stop gossiping and follow me, you’ll find out,” Han called out to them. 

Ben sighed. “He’s having too much fun with this,” he said in a low voice. “That’s how I know to worry.”

Finn shifted his gaze to Rey. “Is he being serious?”

“Deadly,” Ben said. 

“Are you trying to be funny?” Finn asked. 

“Oh, I’m serious,” Ben said. “My dad is known for being reckless.”

Rey elbowed Ben. “Sounds like someone else I know.” She tried to keep her face serious, but she couldn't hold back her smile. It was nice to see Ben and Finn talk without threats. 

They started walking in the direction Han and everyone else went. 

“This is weird,” Finn said. 

“What is?” Rey asked. 

“Kylo Ren has a sense of humour,” Finn said. “Admittedly, it’s not a great sense of humour, but he must be out of practice.”

“My name’s Ben.”

Finn nodded. _“Ben’s_ not great at telling jokes.” He squinted, and Rey wasn’t sure if it was because of the sun or if he’d had an unpleasant thought. _“Did_ you make jokes while you were Kylo Ren?”

Ben stopped walking. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because if you did make jokes, I want to know if anyone _knew_ they were jokes.”

Ben's mouth twitched. “I did make the occasional joke.”

“You did?” Rey asked. 

“They were usually at Hux’s expense,” Ben admitted.

Finn laughed. “Did he get the jokes?”

“Never.”

From what little Rey had seen of Ben and Hux, she knew they had been set up to be rivals. She could imagine Ben making fun of Hux to his face and Hux not getting it. Even when he went by Kylo Ren, Ben was always there. 

“He hated you, didn’t he?” Finn asked.

Ben grinned. “Almost as much as he hated you.”

Finn nodded. “I guess that’s one point in your favour.”

“There are points?” Ben asked.

Finn gave Rey a look like he wasn’t sure whether Ben was being serious or not. Truthfully, she couldn’t tell either. 

“What are you doing back there?” Han yelled. 

Rey looked over at Han and saw that he was alone.

“Everyone else is already inside,” Han said. “Hurry up.”

…

Rey, Ben, and Finn followed to the other side of the isolated hill. She was surprised to see how large of a structure was hidden behind it. 

Unlike the traditional looking stalls Rey saw at the Festival of the Ancients, this building was made from different metals and looked like it could withstand even the most severe sandstorms.

Rey followed Han inside and was introduced to Lando for the second time. 

Rey realized this was his home. It was filled with more possessions than she had ever seen one person own – and that included Leia. He had nick nacks from all over the galaxy, which looked out of place on a planet like Pasaana. 

_“Lando,”_ Ben said, sounding stunned. 

Lando laughed and wrapped his arms around Ben. “It’s good to see you again, kid.” He let go of Ben before he could respond. 

"Han’s been getting me caught up on what happened.”

Finn’s mouth had dropped open. “You’re General Calrissian.” 

“I know I am,” Lando said. 

“It’s an honour to meet you,” Finn said.

“None of that.” Lando waved off the compliment. “You’ll make me blush. Besides, from what Han’s told me about you, I should be honoured to meet you.”

Finn’s eyebrows shot up. “Me?”

“You’re the former Stormtrooper, right?” Lando asked.

“What does that have–”

“You’ve started something," Lando said in a more serious voice. "The First Order should be far more concerned than they are about your influence.”

“They should?” Finn asked.

“You’ve proven that Stormtroopers have minds of their own,” Lando explained.

“He’s right,” Ben said. “They couldn’t hide your defection.”

“And now they can’t hide yours,” Finn said. 

“There will be time for this later,” Lando said, leading them into another room, larger than the last. “Make yourselves comfortable.”

Luke was at the back of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Paige and Rose were already sitting on a lush looking couch, while Chewie was looking at an ornate vase. 

“Don’t touch that,” Lando snapped. “You have a bad track record with breaking my things.”

Chewie moaned in disagreement, but backed away from the vase and sat on a wooden chair next that was too small for his large frame. 

Han and Finn sat on similar chairs next to Chewie. 

Lando chose a bright blue armchair. “I think it’s time for you to finish your story.”

Rey opted to sit on the ground. There was a colourful rug that looked like it was more expensive than anything Rey had ever dreamed of owning. 

Ben sat next to her, close enough that his thigh brushed against hers. 

She looked at him and smiled. 

He smiled back. 

“Han was telling me about how you joined the Resistance because of a girl,” Lando said to Ben.

Rey was sure her face turned bright red. 

Ben wasn’t any better. He blushed and his mouth dropped open. “I, uh–”

“Just like your old man,” Lando said, grinning.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: References to past food insecurity.

Ben hadn’t known that Lando had moved to Pasaana. 

He didn’t want to consider what Supreme Leader Kylo Ren would have done in the original timeline if he _had_ known. His focus had been entirely on Rey when he had arrived on Pasaana, so he may have ignored Lando, but the more likely scenario was capturing or killing him. 

Ben had too much to feel guilty about to add crimes he _hadn’t_ committed to the list, but it was difficult not to. Lando seemed happy to see him, which Ben knew was something that he didn’t deserve. He was the same man who killed his father. It didn’t matter that he was alive in this timeline. He was responsible for all of the actions he remembered. Being seen as a better man than he was made him feel like a fraud. 

Lando’s home was modest in a way that surprised Ben. It was a structure that didn’t match the rest of the planet, so Lando must have had it built and then added to it over the years. The interior was filled with furniture and decor that was a mismatch of different styles and cultures, but all of it was in good condition. 

It looked like it was the home of a man who didn’t know who he was. 

Lando had always been so confident, and he still projected that confidence, but there was a tightness to his eyes and a slump to his shoulders that Ben didn’t recognize. This was a Lando who was tired. 

Years ago, when Ben was still Luke’s student, Luke had alluded to something happening to Lando, but he had never shared the details with Ben. All he knew was that Luke had a sad look pass over his face anytime Lando was mentioned. 

Maybe he would finally learn what happened. 

…

It didn’t take long for Lando to cause problems. His comment that Ben left the First Order for Rey, which was more true than any of them knew, drew a wide range of reactions. 

His father and Chewie had laughed, and even Luke had cracked a smile. Rey’s friends had been a different story. There had been shouts of disbelief from Finn and Paige, and Rose had given him a knowing look. 

He would respect Rose’s wishes and give her time to approach him when she was ready, but he was incredibly curious about what she _thought_ she knew. 

Rey’s reaction had been the most important to him. She had blushed and drawn in on herself a little, but she hadn’t moved away from him. If anything, she had leaned in closer to him and had brushed his arm with hers. That she didn’t want to distance herself from him – especially when it would have made things easier for her – meant a lot to him. 

For the rest of their abridged explanation of recent events to Lando, Ben knew his face remained red. Thankfully, the explanation of the events on Ahch-To stuck to Luke’s decision to join them and the Jedi texts. Nobody mentioned Rey’s vision or anything that had happened between Rey and Ben. 

Lando made some pointed remarks about everyone’s appearance and told them to clean up while he got food ready. 

Ben was ready to shed the clothes and the persona of Kylo Ren.

...

Ben found himself alone in a guest room. Similar to the other rooms he had seen, there was an odd assortment of styles. The bed had velvet blankets and some of the furniture was simple and wooden, while other furniture was ornately designed metal.

Lando had _insisted_ that Ben wear the clothes he had selected, which should have made him wary, but he was far too distracted to pay close attention to the clothes he was handed.

The pants Lando had given him were a little short, but that was hidden by his boots. Lando had also given him a cape that he put aside – he had worn enough capes as Kylo Ren – and a light blue shirt that was made of a silky material. The shirt was tight across his shoulders, but otherwise, it fit fine. 

Ben looked at himself in the antique floor length mirror and didn't recognize himself. He couldn't remember the last time he wore colour. During his time with Snoke, he always wore black. Before that, with Luke, he always wore neutral colours – lots of beige and brown. It had to have been when he was still a child. 

Clothes had often been a shield, a way to keep others afraid and distant. This was something else.

Not wanting to inspire fear didn’t mean he was free of fear. He took a deep breath and braced himself to face the others.

...

Ben found the others – minus Rey and Rose – in the dining room, which was dominated by a large glass table. He sat in the empty wooden seat next to Chewie and across from his dad. It was as far away from Luke as he could get.

His dad leaned forward. "Colour is a good look on you, kid." 

"Looking every bit the prince you were raised to be," Lando said with a wide grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, leaning in the chair next to his dad.

Finn turned away from his conversation with Luke. "Prince?" he asked. 

Ben snorted. "I'm not a prince." Other children had occasionally referred to him as a prince, but that had usually been to taunt him. He couldn’t be the prince of a planet that was destroyed before he was born. 

"Maybe not," Lando said, shrugging, "but your mom’s a princess. I _know_ you had some intense etiquette lessons." 

"Really?” Paige asked, eyes lighting up. “Did you learn which fork to use and proper posture?" Paige asked. 

"Among other things, yes," Ben confirmed. 

Paige laughed. "You're a lot less scary now that I can picture you as a child learning to greet people and bow." She was still a little pale, but was almost completely recovered. 

Ben was relieved to see how well Paige was doing. 

"Ben _hated_ those lessons,” his dad said, “and I don't blame him. Kids need to spend time being kids."

His chest tightened at his dad's words. He had never felt much like a kid. There was always so much pressure to live up to his family legacy. Being Force sensitive complicated that legacy. His family, the public, and _the voice_ all had expectations he struggled to meet. And even before he had embraced it, there was his darkness, which he had feared.

It was difficult to follow the conversation when his mind drifted. He tried to pay attention to what was said, hoping for a distraction. 

"Han here," Lando said, pointing at Ben's dad, "disappeared whenever there were formal events." 

His dad raised his hands. “I went to some. The _important_ ones–”

“And _hated_ every minute,” Lando said. 

Chewie roared with laughter. 

His dad sighed. “I wasn’t _that_ bad.” 

Lando laughed. He left the dining room and went into what Ben assumed was the kitchen.

“Yes, you were,” Ben said, leaning forward. “One time you took a bottle of wine and hid alone in a closet. You don’t even like wine.”

His dad shrugged. “But nobody _caught_ me.”

Ben gave him a pointed look. 

“Nobody other than _my son_ caught me,” his dad said, correcting himself. He turned to Rey’s friends. "I took Ben away with me when I could get away with it," his dad said.

Ben remembered those trips. They were adventures that hinted at the excitement his dad talked about in his stories. He had wanted nothing more than to be like his dad when he was older. 

But that hadn’t been a choice that had been available to him. 

He remembered wishing his dad would take him away when his mom had decided to send him to Luke, but instead, his dad had let it happen. 

Maybe it didn’t matter that they sent him to Luke. The voice had been with him for as long as he could remember. Maybe it was inevitable that he would fall to the dark side and join Snoke. 

Part of him knew it wasn’t inevitable. He had fought against the darkness and had only given up when he was at his most hopeless. 

Hope was what brought him back, and hope was what would keep him from falling again. 

Rey and Rose joined them in the dining room, and Rey captured his full attention. Her hair was down, which was a rare sight. The subtle waves framed her face and drew his attention to her smile. 

Rey said something to Rose before she came over and sat next to Ben.

Rose stayed on the other side of the table, sitting next to Luke and across from Paige and Finn.

"Interesting choice of clothing," Rey whispered, leaning close to him. He felt her breath against his ear. 

"Lando's choice," Ben said in a low voice. 

"Ah," Rey said. "I should tell him that I approve."

Ben nodded. “You should.”

Rey leaned away. _You look nothing like Kylo Ren,_ Rey said, projecting the thought instead of saying it aloud. 

_Good. He also gave me a cape_. Ben projected an image of the cape Lando gave him. 

Rey stifled a laugh. _Kylo Ren wouldn’t have worn that cape._

_And Ben Solo won’t wear it._

Rey tilted her head. _You don’t have the same flare for the dramatic as Lando?_

 _I’m a different type of dramatic,_ Ben said. 

Rey tucked her hair behind her ears. 

_I like your hair,_ he said, the words slipping out before he thought them through. 

Rey raised her eyebrows. _What?_

Ben felt his face heat up. _I've never seen it down before,_ he continued. _It suits you._

Rey shrugged. _It gets in my way when it's down._

_Well, it looks beautiful... you look beautiful._

_Thank you,_ Rey said. She looked down at her plate, but he saw a slight smile on the corner of her lips. 

"Are you going to share with the class?" his dad asked. 

Ben looked at his dad. "I don't know what you mean," he said, managing to keep his voice steady. 

"I already told you that the two of you weren't subtle, communicating with each other through the Force.” His dad shook his head. “We shouldn't be keeping secrets."

Everyone at the table was watching their conversation. Ben didn’t want to give any of Rey’s friends more reasons to distrust him. "We weren't–"

"Then _what_ were you talking about?" his dad asked. 

"Force healing," Rey cut in, saving Ben from having to answer. "We don't know enough about how it works."

Ben let out a relieved breath. He didn’t want to share their conversation with everyone. It was private. 

"I agree," Luke said, giving Ben and Rey a judgemental look that Ben didn’t think they had earned. "You both took a dangerous risk."

Ben tensed. "It worked out."

"From what Finn told me, it almost _didn't._ If he hadn't stopped you–"

"Good thing he did," Ben said sharply. He clenched his hands into fists. 

Luke looked at Finn with narrowed eyes. "How did you know to–"

"I wasn't expecting company," Lando said, interrupting Luke. He entered the room with a tray filled with an assortment of food. "So this is what I have."

Ben relaxed his shoulders. 

Lando had brought bread, fruit, and dried meat. It was better than anything he had eaten with the Resistance or on Ahch-To.

…

Ben hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he started eating. 

Conversation had stopped as soon as food arrived, so he wasn’t the only one who was hungry. Rey ate like it could be her last meal, which he was learning was how she ate most of her meals. He had never had to worry about food, so he ate at a much slower pace, even when hungry. 

He wanted to promise Rey that she should never need to worry about food again, but he didn’t know if he could keep that promise. 

It was also more complicated than that. Rey’s relationship with food had developed because of a lifetime of struggling to survive. It was part of who she was, and it wasn’t up to him to heal her. She was capable of doing that herself. 

…

As everyone finished up their meals, conversation resumed. They shared stories and got to know each other better. 

Ben didn’t add any stories of his own. 

It was too much, being surrounded by so many people, doing something as benign as sharing a meal. With the First Order he had always eaten alone, and he hadn’t _socialized._

It was getting difficult for him to breathe. He needed space. 

Ben stood up. “Excuse me,” he muttered, heading for the door. 

He found himself outside where the only light was from the stars. He slowly inhaled the cool evening air. 

Some of the tension started to leave his body. 

He focused his attention on the stars and put aside the thoughts that had been bothering him. Focusing on his surroundings helped. 

…

The door opened. “Ben?” Rey asked. 

“I’m over here,” he said. He was sitting on the ground, near the door. 

He couldn’t see her very well in the dark, but he felt Rey sit next to him. 

"What should our next steps be?" Ben asked. They needed to prepare to face Palpatine. It had been more difficult than he anticipated to kill Snoke, and Palpatine was a much more deadly opponent. 

"I didn't come out here to talk about that," she said, softly. 

"Then why are you here?" 

Rey put her hand on his knee. "I wanted to see if you were alright."

 _"Me?"_ Ben asked, placing his hand on hers. 

Rey sighed. "You've been through a lot."

"We all have," he said. Paige had nearly died, Luke was injured, Finn had to face–

“Yes,” Rey agreed, “and I’ve _already_ checked on Paige and talked to Finn, so now I’m here to check on _you.”_

Ben’s throat was tight. “You don’t need to.”

“Of course I do,” Rey said, squeezing his knee. “I care about you. I’ll always want to make sure you’re okay, _especially_ after you abruptly leave dinner to be alone outside.”

Ben rubbed her hand with his thumb, taking comfort from her touch. “Being in there with everyone… it was a lot. I needed some time to myself.”

“Should I go?” Rey asked, pulling her hand away. 

“No,” Ben said, taking her hand back. “You’re different… I’m comfortable with you.”

“Good,” she said, her voice sounding lighter. He imagined that she was smiling. 

“Can we stay out here for a while longer?” he asked, not ready to face anyone else. 

Rey rested her head on his shoulder. “As long as you need.”

…

Rey had fallen asleep on his shoulder, so Ben gently woke her up. “Rey, we should go to bed.”

She mumbled. 

“It’ll be more comfortable and warmer inside,” he said.

Rey let out a soft groan and lifted her head. “I _was_ comfortable.”

He was comfortable too, but it was getting colder, and they couldn’t spend the night outside. 

Ben helped Rey stand up. 

“Wait,” Rey said, “before we go inside…” She found his face with her hands and then pulled him down for a kiss. 

Ben let out a startled moan. 

Rey wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. 

Ben put his hands in her hair and kissed her back. He was still amazed that she wanted to kiss him. When she came to him on the _Supremacy_ he had thought… but after that he assumed his affections were one sided. It wasn’t until they were on Ahch-To together that he learned otherwise. 

Her lips were so soft against his. He didn’t remember why he had wanted to go back inside. He wanted to stay outside with her and keep kissing. 

Sooner than he was ready for, Rey leaned back. 

“What was that for?” Ben asked.

“I felt like it,” Rey said, her voice low. “I’ll show you the sleeping arrangements. 

Ben raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

“You’re with Chewie, your dad, and Luke, and I’m with everyone else.”

“Ah,” he said, trying not to sound disappointed. 

Rey laughed.

Ben followed her to his room.

“See you tomorrow,” she said. 

Ben pressed his lips to her forehead. “Goodnight.”

...

Ben was surprised to find that Lando and Luke were already in the kitchen when he got there. He hadn’t slept well last night and had assumed everyone else was still asleep. 

“–found the blade?” Luke asked. 

Lando shook his head. “I haven’t been looking.” 

“Why not?”

“It seemed like a lost cause, and then when you disappeared, there was no point. What would I do with a Sith blade?” Lando asked. 

Luke opened his mouth to respond, but then he saw Ben, leaving whatever he was going to say unsaid. “Ben, you’re up.”

“I am,” Ben said. He ignored Luke and looked at Lando. “Is there caf?”

Lando nodded. “It’s almost ready.” He passed Ben a basket filled with breads and jams. “You take these out, and I’ll bring out the caf soon.”

Ben brought the food to the dining room, and Luke followed behind him. 

“How much did you hear?” Luke asked. 

Ben sat down. “Keeping secrets?”

“Deciding how much to tell you,” Luke said, crossing his arms. 

Finn walked into the room and yawned. “Is there caf?”

“Lando’s bringing it,” Ben said. 

Finn nodded and sat across from Ben, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. He put a piece of bread on his plate and spread jam on it. “The food here is good.”

“Glad you think so,” Lando said. He placed a pot of caf on the table. 

Finn poured himself a cup. “Anyone else?”

Luke declined Finn’s offer to pour.

Lando accepted. He took his caf and sat next to Ben, lounging in his chair. 

Ben gave his cup to Finn and thanked him when he gave it back. It was such a normal thing to do, but it wasn’t normal for Ben. He would have to get used to poiltness and sharing meals with others. 

Ben took a sip of his caf. It was almost too hot, but the flavour was good. 

He started at Luke. “Have you decided how much to tell me?”

Luke sighed and sat next to Finn. “We were talking about the Blade of Ochi of Bestoon.”

“Is that name supposed to mean anything to me?” Ben asked, knowing exactly which blade Luke meant, but wanting to find out how much Luke would tell him. 

“It’s a Sith blade that carries with it the location of a Sith wayfinder,” Luke said. 

Finn had stopped eating and was listening to their conversation. “What’s a Sith wayfinder?” he asked. 

“It’s what it sounds like,” Ben said. “It’s a tool created by a Sith to travel through difficult parts of space.”

Finn looked between Ben and Luke. “Why do we need it?”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think we need it?” he asked. 

“Other than the fact that you two were discussing it?” Finn asked. He paused, thinking about his answer. “A feeling.”

“Hmm,” Luke said, “you’re right. We do need it.”

Paige and Rose walked in. 

“Is that jam?” Paige asked. “It looks good.”

“Please tell me there’s caf,” Rose said. 

“There is,” Lando confirmed. “Help yourselves.” 

Not long after Paige and Rose sat down and started eating, Chewie walked in, followed by his dad and Rey. 

Rey smiled at Ben and sat next to him. 

“Why the interest in Sith artifacts?” Lando asked.

Luke put down his bread. “I recently learned some troubling news.”

“And you’re looking for answers from the Sith?” Lando asked, raising his eyebrows.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut. “Palpatine is back,” he said in a grave voice. 

The reaction was stunned silence. 

Rose wrinkled her brow. “How do you know?” she asked, breaking the silence. 

Luke nodded at Ben. “Ask him.”

Ben’s jaw tightened. 

_What are you going to tell them?_ Rey asked.

 _The truth,_ he decided.

“There have been signs for a while – a dark presence I couldn’t explain – but I ignored at first,” Ben explained, thinking about the months he spent searching. At first he had foolishly thought it was his grandfather. 

“Then what happened?” Paige asked. 

“First Order records suggested there was someone other than Snoke giving orders.” Ben grimaced. “I didn’t suspect Palpatine until he made himself known to me.”

Paige bit her lip. “How did he do that?”

Ben sighed. “I heard his voice in my mind,” he said, knowing that they would doubt his word. 

Paige shared a look with Rose and Finn. “Are you sure that was real?” she asked. 

Ben's jaw stiffened. “I am.”

“You could be mistaken,” Luke said, sounding like he wished Ben was mistaken, but knew he wasn’t. 

"Ben’s right," Finn said.

Ben’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Finn to back him up. 

"How do you know?" Luke asked, giving Finn an intense stare. 

Finn shrugged. "A feeling."

Luke tilted his head. "Have you had this feeling before?"

"Yes," Finn said, pinching his brows together like he didn’t know what Luke was hinting at. 

Ben had a feeling of his own. He didn’t think Finn would be happy about the outcome of this conversation. 

"Describe the feeling to me," Luke said. 

Rey’s eyes widened. _Is Luke suggesting that Finn…_

 _I think he is,_ Ben said. 

“I felt his sincerity. He believes what he said is true,” Finn said. 

“You’re describing the Force,” Luke said. “You’re Force sensitive.” 

_“What?”_ Finn asked, his eyes wide. “No, I’m not.”

“I’ve suspected for a while,” Luke said. “What did you feel when you stopped Rey and Ben from healing Paige?”

“A warning,” Finn said in a quiet voice. “Danger.”

“That’s the Force,” Luke said. 

Finn shook his head. “You’re wrong.” He looked at Rey for confirmation. “He is wrong, isn’t he?”

Rey winced. “I’m not sure.”

Finn took a step back. He turned to Ben. “What do you think?”

“I think that you know Luke is right.”

Finn gave Ben a nod. “I need to think about this,” he said, and then he walked out of the room. 

Rose stood up. 

Paige touched her arm. “Give him some time to himself.”

Rose sat back down. “You couldn’t have found a better way to break it to him?” she asked Luke. 

“He needed to know,” Luke said. 

“She has a point,” his dad said. “You could have told him in private or talked to Rey and had her tell him. It would have been better coming from a friend.”

Cheiwe groaned in agreement.

“It’s done,” Luke said. 

_Do you think Luke is right?_ Rey asked. 

_I do,_ Ben confirmed. 

He had sensed something from Finn before, something he initially dismissed, but Force sensitivity explained a lot. It explained how Finn broke free from his Stormtrooper conditioning, how he held his own in a lightsaber fight, and how he knew to stop them from healing Paige more. 

Another Force sensitive on their side could turn the tide in their fight against Palpatine, but only if Finn was willing to train. Ben knew he could teach him, but he didn’t think that Finn would be willing to learn from him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! I plan to update more regularly again.

Finn put as much space between him and everyone else as he could. Just outside of Lando’s home, he found a covered spot that was shaded and far enough away from the door that he couldn’t be seen. 

He kicked at the sand. 

Luke Skywalker had told him he was Force sensitive, which could have been good news if things were different, but Finn had seen too much of the Force to ever be comfortable wielding it himself. 

The Force had been part of a fairytale that Finn had been told in whispers in the dead of night. Stormtroopers had many stories.

The loudest stories were the stories of the Empire and its strength. Finn rarely listened to those stories, but he understood the importance of _pretending_ to listen. Those stories always ended with the message that the First Order would reclaim the Empire’s power and then achieve more than the Empire had ever _dreamed_ of achieving. He'd learned to gasp at the right parts and look inspired.

It was the quieter stories that first drew Finn in. Some Stormtoopers had memories of their lives _before_ the First Order and occasionally, when they were meant to be sleeping, a Stormtooper would be brave enough to share one of their memories. 

_Stormtroopers don't have memories._

Like the story FL-3183 told about her brother who taught her how to play wiffle ball. Finn hadn't known what wiffle ball _was,_ but he liked the idea of having a sibling who taught _him_ how to play games, or even better, he liked the idea of knowing the games and teaching his own sibling.

_Stormtroopers don't play games._

Finn had listened to stories of life outside the First Order with a jealous longing, wanting both his _own_ memories and a chance to see if the people and places in the stories were _real._

_Stormtroopers don't have families._

The quietest stories were the most dangerous. Those were the stories of a brave young man, barely more than a boy, who saved a princess and destroyed the Empire’s greatest weapon. He was a young man with a power that the galaxy had thought was long gone. Evil was no match for the power of the light side of the Force. 

The quietest stories had always been Finn's favourite stories.

On many nights he has fallen asleep to one of those stories and imagined _himself_ as the young Jedi, fighting against the Empire. If the Empire's officers bore the familiar hexagon insignia of the First Order in his dreams, that was because it was what Finn knew. He had never allowed himself to ascribe any meaning to his dreams. His dreams of fighting with a lightsaber had been just that, _dreams._

And it was that young Jedi, now older and more bitter, who told Finn that _he_ was Force sensitive. Mere weeks ago, the _possibility_ of learning how to use the same power Luke Skywalker had mastered would have excited Finn. It would have been like his dreams were _real._

But that was before Jakku, before he saw the Force in action. 

Finn swallowed hard and sat down on the sand, resting his head in his hands. It was on Jakku that he had learned the Force was a nightmare and not a fairytale. 

On Jakku, Kylo Ren had proved to be as imposing as he was rumoured to be, but it had been his voice – his inhuman voice – that had sent chills down Finn’s spine. Then after he had killed a man with his red blade, Kylo Ren had done the impossible. He had used the Force to freeze a blaster bolt. 

Finn had stopped breathing at the sight. The Force, the very thing he had rarely let himself imagine was real, was so much more terrifying than anything else Finn had ever encountered. 

And now he had to deal with the very _real_ possibility that he could use the Force, which was one more thing he had in common with the monster that had _inexplicably_ switched sides. 

He didn’t know what to do.

…

Someone sat across from Finn on the sand. He raised his head and was unsurprised to see that it was Rey. She was looking at him with concern and gnawing on her lip like she had something she wanted to say, but she was waiting for him to speak first. 

He hadn’t asked her to join him, so she could wait until he collected his thoughts. Rey was his friend, but she was also Force sensitive, and she hadn’t said anything to him about his own Force sensitivity.

“Did you know?” Finn asked, knowing her answer to this question would steer the direction of this conversation. 

Rey’s eyes widened slightly. “No,” she said, shaking her head.

Finn let out a breath. “Would you have told me if you did?” he asked, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

“Of course,” Rey said, sounding offended that he would think otherwise, and normally he _wouldn't,_ but he had a hard time knowing _what_ to believe. “I wouldn’t keep something like that from you.” Her voice was serious and her gaze was steady.

Even if he hadn't somehow sensed her sincerity, he would have believed her. “Do you think Skywalker is right?” he asked, looking for confirmation of what he had already realised was true. 

“I do,” Rey said, putting the final nail in the coffin of his doubts. “But what I think isn’t important. What do _you_ think?” 

“I think he’s right,” Finn admitted. He had always had a keen understanding of people: officers, fellow Stormtoopers, and even the occasional Resistance pilot. He’d known who it was safe to listen to quiet stories with and who would have turned him in. He’d felt it when the villagers of Jakku – good people – were killed. 

Was that the Force? He had a lifetime of memories to look back on with new understanding.

“I could teach you what I know.” Rey offered with a hesitant smile. “And then we could learn the rest together.”

_We._

Finn’s heart sank at that word because he _knew_ that Rey didn’t just mean the two of them. He didn’t want to take that smile off her face, but he had to be honest with her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Rey furrowed her brow. “Even if you don’t plan to use the Force, you should learn some basics.” She was no longer smiling. “It’s dangerous to–”

“I _know_ the Force is dangerous,” Finn said, not meaning to snap at her, but she of all people should have known that he was fully aware of how dangerous the Force was. “I’ve seen what it can do – what Ben can do – and I don’t want to be _anything_ like him.”

“He’s not–”

“Don’t defend him,” Finn interrupted with a shake of his head. “Not now.”

“You’ve seen him do _good,”_ Rey said. “Without him, Paige would have–”

“I know,” Finn said, clenching his hands into fists. “I know that he’s helped us – that he’s on our side now. I know he’s not going back to the First Order.”

“So then why–”

“Because I’m _afraid_ of him,” Finn admitted. “I’m afraid of what he has done, and even more important, I’m afraid of what _I_ could do – of who I could _hurt.”_

Rey gazed at him sadly. “You won’t hurt anyone.”

Finn’s throat was dry. “You don’t know that,” he said in a low voice. 

“I can help you,” Rey said, her voice sounding strained.

Part of him wanted to accept her offer, but he knew that couldn’t, not without more information about Ben. “What’s going on between the two of you – your bond, connection, or whatever you want to call it – what does it mean?”

Rey bit her lip. “We’re still figuring it out.”

“How close are you?”

“That’s none of your business,” Rey said, snapping at him.

“It’s not,” Finn agreed, but he wasn't going to back down. “Or it wouldn't be – but I need to know – need to understand before I can agree to let you help me with the Force." He swallowed. "I have every right to know how much of a risk I am taking.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she said, not looking at him. 

“I already know you care about him, and everyone can see that he cares about you too." Finn had never seen anyone look at someone else the way Ben looked at Rey. Sometimes, when she let her guard down, Rey gave Ben a similar look back. "What I need to know is how tangled up you are in each other’s minds. At dinner you were talking to him without actually talking." It had been unnerving when Han pointed it out. "If I were to let you into my mind, would I be letting _him_ in too?”

“I’m not sure," Rey admitted. "Possibly.”

Finn had been afraid that was going to be her answer. “That’s not a risk I can take.”

“You still need to learn."

“I’m not going to learn from you, and Luke doesn’t seem like much of a teacher.” Maybe he could ignore his Force sensitivity. He had lived his whole life unaware. 

“He’s not,” Rey agreed. It sounded like there was a story there, but she didn't elaborate.

Finn shrugged. “I’ll figure it out on my own.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“A lot of things shouldn’t happen, " he said, "but that’s where we are.” 

Their conversation lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. There was nothing for either of them to add.

Finn stood up and brushed the sand off his pants. “I should go talk to Rose and Paige.”

“Are we okay?” Rey asked, her voice small. 

“We will be,” Finn promised. “Even though I don’t trust you with this, I still trust _you._ You’re still my friend.” 

“I wish I could help you,” Rey said, resting her hand on his arm. 

“You can,” Finn said. “Just not with the Force.” He turned away and started walking towards the door. 

“I’ll see you later?” Rey called out after him. 

“Yes,” Finn agreed, looking back at Rey. “I just need some space.” 

Rey nodded. “I can give you space.”

…

Rose and Paige were back in their room, sitting on the bed. Lando hadn’t had enough beds for everyone, so Paige had taken the one in this room, and Rose, Rey, and him had been given sleeping mats for the floor. They were pretty comfortable, so Finn had no complaints. 

“You’re back,” Rose said, raising her eyebrows. 

“I am,” Finn said. 

“Do you want to talk about… what Luke said?” Rose asked, hesitating over her words like she wanted to avoid making him uncomfortable.

He appreciated her consideration, but he knew this conversation was inevitable and wanted to get it over with. “I don’t, but I do," he said, unsure how to explain. "Does that make any sense?”

“It makes _perfect_ sense,” Paige said. “Nothing about this situation is what any of us are used to and you just got hit by what could potentially be a huge change.”

Finn sat beside Rose on the bed. “I think Luke was right.”

Rose bumped her shoulder against his arm. "We're here for you."

"If anyone can figure this out, it's you," Paige said. "You left the First Order. This should be easy in comparison."

Their support meant a lot to him, but he could tell they didn’t understand how _afraid_ he was. Rey hadn't understood either. 

… … … 

Rey found Luke easily enough. He was with Chewie in the living room, sitting on the same velvet couch Rose and Paige had sat on the day before. 

She walked over to Luke and crossed her arms. "We need to talk."

"Finn needed to know," Luke said with a deep sigh, not even looking up at her.

Chewie told them he was going to find Han, not even trying to hide the fact that he wanted to avoid witnessing their confrontation. 

"That's not what I want to talk about,” Rey said. There was no point going over the past. It was already done. “You need to teach Finn.” 

Luke finally looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "I thought you disagreed with me about the Jedi?"

_"I do–"_

"So why ask me?" he asked, tilting his head. 

Rey held herself tighter. "Because he doesn't want _me_ to teach him." She had looked forward to teaching Finn about the Force. She had felt so alone when she first came into her power. She didn't want the same for him.

Luke pinched his brows together. "Why would I be any different?"

 _Because you are afraid of Ben,_ Rey thought but didn't say.

"Ah," Luke continued, "it's because of Ben, isn't it?"

Rey gave a small nod. "Finn's afraid."

"He should be," Luke said, and Rey tensed at his words. "Finn, you, and Ben all walk a dangerous path.”

“My path feels _right,”_ Rey said with a confidence she hadn’t previously had. She knew that her and Ben were so much better together. Them being separated was what went wrong in the original timeline. 

Luke stared at her for a moment. “You could be right, but there’s a change you’re wrong," he said gravely. "Are you willing to risk that?”

“I am.”

Luke nodded. “Is Finn?”

Rey closed her eyes for a moment. “I don’t think he is.”

Luke stroked his chin. “He’s more cautious than you are – more steady.” He looked deep in thought.

Rey nodded. 

Luke stood up and walked across the room, facing away from Rey. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

Hope fluttered in Rey's chest. “Will you teach him?”

“I’ll think about it,” Luke said, and that was more than Rey had expected when she came to see him. 

Luke gave her an intense look, like he was trying to figure something out about her. 

It made her put up barriers in her mind. She didn't think he'd violate her privacy that way, but she also remembered what happened when he looked into Ben's mind while he slept.

She didn't know what Luke was thinking. He was hard to read. 

Without breaking their tense silence, Luke gave her a small nod and left her alone. 

…

Rey sat on the couch, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. She’d slept alright, but she was exhausted. Talking with Finn and then Luke sapped her of her energy. 

She wouldn’t be surprised if she fell asleep. 

“Are you alright?” Ben asked softly. 

Rey startled. She had been so lost in thought she hadn’t noticed he was in the room. “I will be.”

Ben sat next to her on the couch. “That’s good, but it also means you aren’t alright now." He leaned towards her. "Tell me how I can help.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” she said with a sigh.

“Would talking about it help?”

“Maybe,” Rey agreed, but she didn't add anything because she didn't know what to say. So much had happened in such a short period of time.

Ben didn’t press. He waited patiently for her to talk.

The quiet was comfortable.

Rey settled on what she needed to say. “Finn doesn’t want me to teach him."

“He doesn’t want to learn how to use the Force?” Ben asked.

“Not from me,” she said, her voice sounding defeated even to her own ears.

Ben leaned away. “Because of me,” he said, blaming himself for something he couldn't control.

Rey shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”

“We could spend less time together," Ben said, causing Rey's heart to speed up. "Then Finn might change his mind and you could teach him.”

Rey grabbed his hand. “That’s not what I want.” Her heart was thudding loudly. 

“It may be the only way,” he said, trying to pull his hand away, but she wouldn't let go. She didn't _want_ to let go.

“I asked Luke to teach him,” Rey said, not knowing how Ben would react to her mentioning Luke. They had cooperated on Ben's plan to get onboard the _Supremacy_ and fight Snoke, but they hadn't spent much time together since. Their every interaction was fraught with pain. 

Ben raised his eyebrows. “And what did _he_ say?”

“He’ll think about it," she said, trying not to let her annoyance show.

"That's better than I would have guessed," Ben said with only a hint of bitterness. "But you shouldn't rely on Luke. I could–”

Rey tightened her grip on his hand. “I’m not going to spend less time with you.” 

“Not even to help your friend?” he asked, not looking at her.

“No," Rey said emphatically, "that wouldn’t be the _right_ way to help him.” 

Ben exhaled. “We need to work together to have a chance against Palpatine.”

Rey groaned. “That’s not why,” she said, frustrated with how wrong he was. Beating Palpatine was important, but so was _Ben._ He was more important to her than–

“Then why?” he asked, his hand was rigid beneath her own.

She stroked his hand with her thumb. “You know why.”

Ben wrinkled his brow. “I don’t.” 

“You’re _important_ to me," Rey said, her throat tight. "I _want_ to spend time with you.”

Ben looked so confused by her words, and she felt her heart breaking for him.

 _“Why?”_ he asked.

Rey couldn't find the words to answer his question. There were so many reasons. It was impossible to narrow them–

“You once called me a monster,” Ben continued, interrupting her thoughts. "You were right. I've done–"

Rey used her free hand to cup his face. “You’re not a monster,” she said. "I was _wrong."_ When she called him that, she had every reason to believe it was true, but she hadn't known him yet, hadn't seen who he truly was.

"I don't know who I am," he said so quietly that she almost missed the words.

"That's okay," Rey said. "I'm still learning who I am. We can figure it out together."

"You're better off without me," Ben said with a frown. "I've been selfish."

Rey started tearing up. "Don't say that."

"I have been selfish, I–"

"I'm not better off without you," she said, her voice cracking from emotion. "I pushed you away for a year after everything that happened. I _hated_ it."

"You were right to." Ben covered the hand on his face with his own hand. "I was so far gone, so lost."

"I shouldn't have given up," she said, shaking her head. "I should have _helped_ you."

Ben gave her a sad smile. "It wouldn't have worked – I wasn't _ready."_

"I could have tried–"

"The fog didn't lift until my mom died," he said. "That's when I started to see clearly."

The image of her stabbing him flashed through her mind. "I could have killed you." Regret overwhelmed her.

"You _didn't,"_ Ben said, his eyes shining. "What happened on Kef Bir brought us here, and I am so grateful. I have the opportunity to do some good."

"You already have," Rey said, thinking of Han and Paige.

"So have you," he said. "You give me the strength I need to keep fighting. You're the strongest person I know."

"You make _me_ stronger, and we're so much better together," she said, wondering if he felt the same. "Don't you see that?"

_"I do."_

"So don't say we should spend less time together… unless that's what you want."

Ben's eyes widened, "It _isn't."_

 _"Good,"_ Rey said. She pulled him down and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

Ben pulled away, surprising her. "What are we to each other?" he asked.

Rey was unprepared for his question. "I don't know."

"What do you want to be?"

"I don't know that either," she admitted, and she saw his face fall. "I've never done this – _any_ of this – before."

"Me neither."

"I know I want to be close to you," Rey said, and it was an understatement. Ben felt like he was a missing piece of her very being. She never felt more whole than she did when she was with him. "Do you want to be close to me?"

 _"Yes,"_ Ben said.

Rey looked away. "I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."

"It's the same for me," Ben said, bringing his hand to her cheek.

"Is that enough for now?" she asked, looking up at him. "Can we continue as we have been and figure it out as it happens."

"That's more than enough." Ben stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "It's more than I allowed myself to hope for."

Rey wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest. She inhaled deeply. 

Ben took her into his arms and held her, the tension leaving his body.

She felt safe.


	6. Chapter 6

Holding Rey in his arms made all of Ben's worries wash away. He knew he didn’t deserve her, but she deserved to have everything she wanted, and for reasons he didn’t understand she wanted _him._ Ben would do whatever it took to make her happy. 

He pressed his lips against the top of her head and held her tighter. Offering comfort and showing affection hadn’t been part of his life since his childhood. He was relearning it with Rey.

His heart seized painfully as he remembered that Rey was learning it for the _first_ time. She didn’t have warm childhood memories like he did. All she had was her time with the Resistance and him. 

Ben wouldn’t allow her to be alone like that again. He wanted her to have the family she should have had from the beginning. That meant she needed her friends. Her friends that didn’t have the same memories that she did, that had only recently met Rey. 

She was impossible not to love, so he knew that they would all come to care for Rey as deeply as they had in the original timeline. Ben just had to make sure that he didn’t drive a wedge between them. 

“What are you thinking about?” Rey mumbled into his shirt.

“You,” he answered honestly. 

“Good thoughts?” 

“Always,” he said, smiling, which was something he had found himself doing often around her. His cheeks felt uncomfortably tight, his facial muscles unused to being put to work. 

Rey bit her lip. “Do you think Luke will help Finn?” 

“I don’t know,” Ben said. The Luke they found on Ahch-To was not the same Luke that had taught him for most of his life. He didn’t know if Luke changed in ways that worked in their favour. “I might be able to convince him he should try.”

Rey sat back so that she was facing him. “How?” she asked, biting her lip. 

Ben wanted to pull her back into his arms, but took her hand instead. “I know Luke better than anyone.”

“He’s changed,” she warned, echoing his thoughts. “But so have you.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you,” Rey said.

...

Ben didn’t want to leave Rey alone, but she had insisted that he needed to find Luke before his mind was already made up. In both timelines Rey had seen how stubborn Luke was. 

Now that Luke wasn’t blocking the Force, Ben could sense him in Lando’s home. He wasn’t as strong of a presence as Rey was, but his presence was strong enough for Ben to know his general direction. 

Focusing on the Force sometimes meant he wasn’t paying attention to his immediate surroundings. If he hadn’t been so focused on Luke, he may have paid close enough attention to avoid running into anyone. 

He hadn’t realized Rose was in this hallway. 

Remembering how Rey told him that Rose needed space, Ben turned around, intending on leaving without saying anything to her. 

“Wait,” Rose said with a slight tremor in her voice. 

Ben faced Rose and waited for her to speak. He fidgeted with the sleeve of his borrowed shirt, a rougher and more lightweight fabric than he was accustomed to wearing. 

Rose crossed her arms. "Would you have told me who you are if I hadn't found out when we were escaping the _Supremacy?"_ She maintained eye contact as she spoke. "Or would you have kept me in the dark?"

Ben wished he knew how to repair the damage his deception had caused. Part of him wanted to believe that he would have said something if his mom hadn't decided to keep his identity a secret, but another part of him doubted that he would have told Rose. She had been the first person he had connected to without the baggage of Kylo Ren. "I don't know," he admitted.

Rose pursed her lips. "At least you're honest about that."

If they were ever going to move forward, now wasn't the time. The wound he caused was too fresh. It needed time to heal. 

Rose looked like she was about to leave. Ben stopped her with a question. "How's Finn?" 

Rose wrinkled her brow. "Why do you care?" Her words could have been harsh and confrontational, but she said them softly, like she was genuinely curious about his answer. 

"Rey cares," he answered, not knowing if that would be enough of an explanation. 

"He'll be fine," Rose said, nodding. His answer must have been sufficient. "Finn is one the strongest people I've ever met."

"I'm starting to see that," he said. It took strength to escape the First Order and then fight against it – strength Ben hadn’t had in the original timeline – strength Finn had.

Having no more to say, Ben and Rose went their separate ways. Losing her trust affected him more than he had anticipated. It meant a lot to him to be seen as a person. With the exception of Rey – everyone looked at him like he was about to turn on them. His dad tried to hide it, but it was obvious that his trust only went so far. 

Even though it hadn't gone particularly well with Rose, it hadn't been as bad as he had feared. Ben felt the slight stirrings of hope that maybe one day they would be alright. 

...

Luke was in the dining room with his dad and Chewie. All three of them sat at the table, but only Chewie was still eating. 

Chewie roared a greeting without looking away from his meal. 

"Good to see you," his dad said, motioning for Ben to sit next to him. "Do you want a snack before this one eats all of Lando's food?" He pointed his thumb at Chewie.

Ben didn't sit down. "I'm here to talk to Luke."

His dad raised his eyebrows. "Chewie, let's give these two some space."

Chewie growled.

His dad sighed. "You can bring your plate with you."

Chewie added another piece of bread to his plate and left with Ben's dad. The sounds of his dad and Chewie bickering faded as they walked further away from the dining room. 

Ben sat across from Luke. 

"Well?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Ben leaned forward. "You need to train Finn." Straightforward was the best approach to take with Luke. That was why his dad and Luke got along so well. Ben remembered how chilly his dad had been with Luke since Ahch-To. It was why they _had_ gotten along so well, Ben thought, correcting his earlier thought. 

Luke tilted his head. "Do I?" he asked. 

Ben nodded. "You're the only one of us he will accept as a teacher.” If there was anyone else, Ben wouldn’t ask Luke. He was the last resort. 

“That’s his mistake,” Luke said, shrugging. “I’m not a very good teacher.” His tone was light, but his face was serious. Like the lines in his face, his pain was deep and permanent. 

Ben swallowed. “That’s not true,” he said reluctantly. Despite his anger at Luke, he had to admit they had many good years together. Even though he never felt like he belonged, he learned a lot from Luke. He wouldn't be the man he was today without Luke – for better and for worse. 

Luke leaned back in his chair. “Oh?” He put on an air of nonchalance, but Ben could see through it. Luke’s hands were gripped into fists as if he were bracing for the impact of Ben’s anser. 

“You did alright with the others,” Ben said with only a hint of bitterness. Luke had been their beloved teacher. 

Luke laughed darkly. “They’re all dead.”

Ben flinched. “Because of _me.”_

Luke shook his head. “I’m not foolish enough to believe that the blame is yours alone. I have at least an equal share.”

Ben closed his eyes, trying to block his memories of that day – that horrible day that changed _everything._ “My point stands,” he said, his voice more steady than he felt. “Without Snoke’s – without _Palpatine’s_ influence – you’d likely still be a teacher.”

Luke looked down on the table. “There’s no point dwelling on what might have been.” His voice was small and he looked far older than his years. 

Ben gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. “So let’s talk about the future.” He tried to keep his tone neutral. “You have two options: do nothing or do something good. Which will it be?”

Luke looked up at Ben. “I have my doubts that teaching Finn will do him any good,” he said with a bitter smile.

“Leaving him untrained _definitely_ won’t do him any good,” Ben countered. “You either do nothing, which will result in a bad outcome, or you do something, which _may_ result in a good outcome.” He shrugged. “Your choice.”

Luke ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t think for too long,” Ben said. “We’re in the middle of a war.”

...

Lando gathered everyone in the dining room to plan their next steps. Lando and Luke had decided that locating Ochi’s blade should be their first priority. 

Luke was pacing. “If Palpatine has returned–”

“He has,” Rey interrupted.

“–we will find him on Exegol,” Luke continued without missing a beat. “Ochi’s blade will lead us to the Sith wayfinder. That wayfinder is the only way to get the Exegol.”

“There’s more than one,” Ben reminded him. He remembered the carnage her wrought to gain possession of it. 

“And where is the second?” Lando asked.

“Mustafar,” Ben answered.

His dad whistled. “Going there is far too dangerous, even for me.”

“What’s Mustafar?” Rose asked. 

“It’s a molten planet that houses many Sith cultists,” Luke said. He looked at Ben. “They won’t let us take a Sith artifact.”

“So we should find the other wayfinder first,” Paige said. “Hopefully it’s somewhere less dangerous.”

Rose snorted. “I doubt we’ll be that lucky.”

Knowing the other wayfinder was on Kef Bir, Ben silently agreed with Rose. Both wayfinders would be difficult for them to find before the First Order did. His knights were already aware there was an important Sith artifact on Mustafar, even though they didn’t know what it was. Kef Bir had been on his raydar as well, having been obsessed with his grandfather and the Empire. 

Ben hoped that nobody had been able to access his personal files. He had kept all of his records encrypted. 

“We’ll need to acquire both,” Rey said. “We don’t want the First Order to get to Exegol before us.”

“Ochi’s ship isn’t far,” Lando said. “We should start there.”

Chewie growled his agreement, and Ben’s dad nodded. 

“There are too many of us to all go together,” Paige said. “We’ll draw too much attention. I haven’t seen many visitors on this planet.”

“And you won’t,” Lando said. “Not until the Festival of the Ancestors.”

The necklace Rey had been given at that festival had led Ben to Rey in the original timeline. That festival was almost a year from now. He had to remind himself that they had some time. 

“I’ll go,” Luke said. “I know what we’re looking for.”

“You didn’t find it last time you were here,” Rey said, sounding skeptical of how much help Luke would be. “I’ll go with you.”

“So will I,” Ben said. Rey wasn’t going without him. 

“You’re not going without me,” Finn said. 

Lando nodded. “Four is a good number,” he said. “It’ll be tight, but you’ll fit on my speeder.”

…

All they found on Ochi’s ship was a droid, D-O it called itself. 

“Anything of value was taken years ago,” Finn said, causing D-O to let out a garbled protest. “I don’t think we’ll find anything in here.”

 _We need to go into the quicksand,_ Rey said so that only Ben could hear. 

Ben tried not to let his surprise show on his face. _What?_

 _That’s how we found the blade last time,_ Rey explained. 

_You intentionally went into quicksand?_ he asked, suddenly concerned about Rey’s survival instincts. 

_No, it was an accident._ Rey gave him a discreet smile. _But it worked out._

_Of course it did._ Rey had much better luck than he did. _How do we convince Luke and Finn?_

 _We make it look like an accident._

Ben didn’t like where she was going with this. 

“Let’s explore the surrounding area,” Rey said so that everyone could hear. “Ochi couldn’t have made it far.”

Rey’s words sounded sensible, and only Ben knew that they weren’t sensible. The others agreed easily to her suggestion. Ben couldn’t share why he was worried without revealing too much. 

Everyone followed Rey out of the ship and explored in different directions. Ben pretended to look for signs of Ochi and watched Rey. She made her way to a darker patch of sand – the quicksand Ben guessed – and walked into it. 

Rey started sinking immediately.

Even though Ben knew this was her plan, his heart sped up. He wanted to tell her the blade wasn’t worth the risk. 

“Rey!” Finn called out. He ran over to her and grabbed her arms, trying to pull her out. Instead of rescuing her, he was pulled in. Seconds later both of them were gone. 

“We have to go after them,” Ben told Luke.

Luke shook his head. “They’re dead.”

Ben snorted. “They’re fine.”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “How can you – _ah,_ your bond.”

“Let’s go,” Ben said. He walked to the edge of the quicksand. 

“I’m going to regret this,” Luke said, sounding put out, “but fine.” He followed Ben into the quicksand. 

…

The landing was rough. Ben found himself in an underground cave with an unusual pattern on the walls. He wondered what had carved out the passages.

Luke fell beside Ben, almost knocking into him. “This is an unusual place,” Luke said. 

Finn and Rey must have heard their landing because they joined them from another passage. 

“There you are,” Rey said, the relief clear in her voice. 

Luke was examining the walls. “Where are we?” he asked.

“We think this is where Ochi disappeared to,” Finn answered.

“Hmm,” Luke said in reply. If Rey hadn’t told Ben that they had found the blade here, he would have shared Luke’s skepticism. 

Rey led them down the passage. 

Finn bumped into something and looked down. “I think I found Ochi.”

Ben saw what was left of Ochi and looked at Rey. “What killed him?”

She didn’t answer. “Let’s get the blade and get out of here.”

Rey’s lack of answer put Ben on edge. He heard something move, and it wasn’t any of them. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was slithering, but the sound was too loud to be a snake. 

Rey ignited her lightsaber and Ben and Luke followed her example. Finn took his blaster out of its holster.

The creature that appeared was something out of a nightmare. Ben hadn’t been too far off when he thought the sound he heard was similar to a snake. 

The creature was much larger than any snake Ben had ever seen. He wasn’t sure that all of it was in the passage with them. He hoped it wasn’t too much longer. The creature had three sets of unblinking eyes and it hissed at them.

 _How did you fight it last time?_ Ben asked. 

_We didn't,_ Rey said, which was what he was afraid she would say. _I healed it._

Ben scanned the creature for injuries. Its sandy brown skin was unblemished. _It doesn't look injured._

_I know._

The creature moved towards them, and Finn shot at it with his blaster, giving them the chance to scatter. 

Rey, showing no awareness of the danger she was in, went for the blade. Ben stood in front of her to protect her from danger. 

"Got it," Rey said. He was glad she had known where the blade was. 

Luke hit the creature with his saber, burning its eyes on one side. The wound enraged it further. 

"We're just making it angry," Finn called out. 

They needed a distraction to escape. "I have an idea," Ben said. 

Finn looked over at Ben. "Why does that sound like a _bad_ thing?" 

Ben ignored Finn’s question. "When I say run, you all need to run."

Rey looked at Ben with wide eyes, but she nodded in agreement. 

Ben disengaged his lightsaber and snuck around the creature on the side with its damaged eyes. He moved slowly and kept his steps light. He didn’t know how strong the creature’s hearing was. 

Now behind the creature, Ben grabbed its head, just below its mouth. "Run!"

They ran. 

The creature thrashed, but Ben held on. 

"You will let me leave," he said to the creature in his most commanding tone. 

The creature continued to thrash. “Let me leave,” he ordered again to no effect. 

“Stop,” he yelled, “don’t move.”

The creature stilled. 

Ben exhaled sharply and let go of the creature. 

It didn’t move. 

Unsure if this was a trap or not, Ben backed away slowly, facing the creature. His heart was racing. 

Once he had put enough distance between himself and the creature, Ben ran in the same direction as everyone else.

…

Ben didn’t stop running until he was on the surface. He was panting, but it was not from exertion. _We could have died,_ he thought. 

"Ben," Rey said, sounding slightly out of breath and running towards him. She ran her hands down his chest, searching for injuries.

"I'm fine," Ben told her. 

Rey nodded, believing him. She stood up on her toes and pulled his head down, pressing her lips against his. The kiss was frantic, like she was assuring herself he was still here.

Ben returned the kiss with equal fervour. His heart was still racing from the adrenaline of his near escape. He held the back of her head with one hand and rested the other on her spine. She was warm and slightly damp from sweat. He was sure that he was the same. 

He had thought she would have been angry with him, but he was happy that this was her reaction to his reckless plan. Her lips were soft against his. They hadn’t done this nearly enough. 

Rey pulled back far too soon. "Don't do anything like that ever again," she ordered. 

"It worked," Ben said, defending himself. 

Rey glared. "You're infuriating."

"Is this new?" Finn asked, reminding Ben of their audience. 

"I suspect it's been going on since Ahch-To," Luke said. "They’re _not_ subtle."

Rey’s face reddened, but she didn’t move away from him. Once they got back to Lando’s, Ben knew that everyone would hear about the kiss. What he didn’t know was whether it would be Finn or Luke who would talk first. 

…

Rey went back to Ochi’s ship to get D-O. She had insisted that they couldn’t leave the droid alone. Nobody argued with her. 

Ben leaned against the speeder, facing Ochi’s ship. He saw Rey enter the ship. 

Finn and Luke were already on the speeder. Ben listened to them talk, wanting to hear if Luke had made a decision yet. Finn had the blade, and Luke mentioned that he was anxious to get it translated. 

"I'd like to teach you," Luke said to Finn in a low voice. If Ben hadn't been paying attention to them, he wouldn't have heard Luke.

"You want to teach me to be a Jedi?" Finn asked. 

Luke sighed. "If that's what you want." He said the words like they were a warning. 

"I don’t know if I want to be a Jedi.” 

“You don’t have to decide now.” Luke sounded slightly more at ease. He must have approved of Finn’s caution. “The Jedi aren’t the only Force users in the galaxy. I can teach you some basics while you decide.”

“I’d like that,” Finn said. “I’d like to know how to control it.”

“Tonight then?” Luke asked. 

Ben’s attention was torn away from Finn and Luke by Rey. She was back with D-O. 

“Did I hear what I think I heard?” Rey asked. 

Ben nodded. “Luke offered to teach Finn.”

Rey let out a deep breath “Good.”

Ben was relieved for Rey’s sake, but he had mixed feelings about Luke becoming Finn’s teacher. He knew that Finn needed training, but part of him was jealous. He didn’t want Luke to be his teacher – he already knew that was disastrous – but he was jealous that Finn might be the student Luke had always wanted. He had an intuitive understanding of the Force, but he was also far more noble than Ben had ever been. Ben wouldn’t be surprised if Finn became a proper Jedi once he moved past his reservations. 

“What’s going on in there?” Rey asked, tapping his forehead with two of her fingers. 

“Just my mind going to dark places,” Ben said. He kept his voice light. 

“Well, stop it,” Rey said. 

“It’s not that easy.”

“You need to think about something else.” There was something sly in her voice. 

“Like what?” he asked. 

Rey gave him a quick kiss. “Did that help?”

“Huh?” he asked, focused on her lips. 

Rey smiled. “Did that _distract_ you?”

Ben kissed her cheek and then spoke into her ear. “You _know_ it did.”

“Then I’ll have to kiss you more often,” Rey said, sounding smug. 

Ben held Rey’s chin in his hand. “You’ll get no complaints from me.” 

“Hey,” Finn called out, “we need to get back.”

Ben looked up at Finn and Luke. 

“It’s getting dark,” Luke said. “And we need to translate this blade.” He pointed at the blade Finn was holding. 

Ben sighed. 

“Later,” Rey said quietly. 

Ben’s breath caught in his throat. Later sounded like a _promise._


	7. Chapter 7

There wasn't a lot of space on the speeder, so D-O, the little droid they had met on Ochi's ship, hid behind Rey. It seemed that she had gained its trust, but it was still skittish around the others.

Luke was driving the speeder, and he had insisted on stopping at the _Falcon_ to translate the dagger. Now that he had a purpose, he gave it his full focus. Rey wondered if he had been this intense while training Ben. She looked at Finn and wondered if he was ready to be trained by Luke. Her own limited time training with Luke had been nothing like she had expected. 

Rey shivered from the cold. The sun was setting, and the speeder was going at top speed. Ben must have noticed because he moved closer to her, allowing her to lean into his body heat. 

D-O backed away from Ben with a startled beep, rolling back into the edge of the speeder. 

Ben knelt down beside the droid. "I'm not going to hurt you."

D-O looked at Rey.

"He won't," Rey said, giving the droid a reassuring smile. "I promise." She didn’t want D-O to think that any of them would treat him the way his last owner had. 

D-O rolled into Ben's leg with enough speed to leave bruises. 

Ben winced. "I know what you're doing, droid," he said softly, "and I'm still _not_ going to hurt you."

"My name is Dee-Oh," it said in its squeaky and robotic voice.

"Dee-Oh,” Ben said, sounding apologetic, “I won't hurt you."

D-O nodded and moved between Rey and Ben. It looked like D-O was going to give Ben a chance. 

...

Far sooner than anyone travelling at a safe speed would have gotten there, they arrived at the _Falcon._ Luke went ahead to open the boarding ramp. 

Finn sighed. “I could sleep for a standard week,” he said, resting his chin on his hand. The last few days looked like they were catching up with him. 

Ben snorted.

“What?” Finn asked. 

“You think we’re going to have time to _sleep?”_ Ben asked, eyebrows raised. 

Finn looked alarmed by Ben’s words. “I _hope_ we do.”

Ben shook his head. “Luke has got it into his head that we need to get that wayfinder as soon as possible–”

“You don’t agree?” Finn interrupted. 

“–and you’ve agreed to let him teach you,” Ben continued, “so you _definitely_ aren’t going to be sleeping.”

Ben had a point, but he was being more dramatic than necessary. “Don’t scare him off,” Rey said. They were going to be busy, but there would be _some_ time to rest. Without rest they wouldn’t accomplish _anything._

“I don’t need to scare him off. _Luke_ can do that well enough on his own,” Ben said.

Finn crossed his arms. “I’ll take my chances.” 

Ben mimicked Finn’s posture. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Are you done talking about me?” Luke asked, standing at the foot of the boarding ramp, having clearly been listening the whole time. 

Ben gave Luke a half-shrug. “Sure.”

Finn looked between the two of them like he was waiting for a fight to break out, but thankfully, Ben and Luke kept their hostility verbal, neither of them getting their lightsabers out. 

Rey walked towards the boarding ramp, leading everyone onto the _Falcon._ She didn’t have the patience to deal with their posturing. “The translator is in the crew cabin,” she said. D-O trailed closely behind her. 

...

Rey had stored the translator on one of the top bunks. Walking over to it, she reached for where she knew she put it, but was unable to reach it. Ben came up behind her and grabbed it easily. He was warm against her back. 

Ben didn’t move away from her until Luke coughed. She could see the tips of his ears though his hair, and they were slightly red. 

Ben handed the translator to Luke, and Luke turned it on and held it over the blade. 

Nothing happened. 

Luke tried again. 

_Nothing._

Just like Rey expected. She had doubted that the translator would be able to translate a Sith language. Knowing the location of the Sith wayfinder, but not being able to tell anyone was frustrating.

Ben must have picked up on what she was feeling. _What's wrong?_

_This is a waste of time,_ she replied. _We know where the wayfinder is._

“Is the translator broken?” Finn asked. 

Luke sighed. “No, but it doesn’t know the language. We need another option.” He put the translator on the nearest bunk and attached the dagger to his belt. “Does Leia still have Threepio?”

“Yes,” Rey said. She felt a twinge of guilt when she remembered what they had done to C-3PO in the original timeline. She didn’t know if she could let C-3PO get his memory wiped again, but she didn’t know how to explain how she knew where the wayfinder was.

“Good.” Luke nodded. “Then we need to find the Resistance.” He didn’t sound enthusiastic about going to the Resistance, whether that was because of having to face Leia or something else, she didn’t know. 

Rey hoped that more of the Resistance had survived this time. Her heart sped up, and she glanced at Ben, sensing that some of the apprehension she felt was coming from him. She hoped that Leia hadn’t been injured. 

“Do you have the binary beacon?” Finn asked Ben.

Ben took the binary beacon out of his pocket. “I do,” he said, the blue light reflecting on his skin, drawing her attention to the cut of his jaw. 

"Then we can follow its signal back to the Resistance," Finn said. 

Rey forced herself to tear her eyes away from Ben. 

"Only if they have the other one," Luke said with the level of pessimism she had come to expect from him. 

…

When they got back on the speeder, Ben wrapped his arm around her back, and she leaned into him. 

Finn and Luke pretended not to notice.

“Are you nervous to go back?” Rey asked. 

“No, are you?”

“A little,” she admitted. “I don’t know what we’ll find.”

“Whatever we find,” Ben said, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I’ll be with you.”

“You’d better be,” Rey said in a tone that was meant to be threatening. 

There must have been some affection in her voice because the corner of Ben’s lips twitched, like he was trying not to smile. “You won’t be able to get rid of me,” he promised.

...

"You got it?" Han asked as soon as they stepped inside. He led them to the room where everyone was waiting. 

“We did,” Luke confirmed. 

"Well done," Han said gruffly. 

Paige and Chewie were sitting together on the couch and Rose sat in an armchair beside them. 

Lando walked over to them with his arms out. “You found it, didn’t you?” he asked. 

Ben gave Lando a small smile. “We did,” he said. It was nice to see him so comfortable with someone. He didn’t have the same baggage with Lando as he did with the others. 

"It needs to be translated," Luke said. 

Han shrugged. "Good thing Rey fixed–"

"Already tried that," Finn said, cutting Han off. "Doesn't speak Sith."

"Threepio could do it," Luke said. 

Han looked pained. "Goldenrod, _really?"_

"Really," Luke confirmed. 

"So we're going to the Resistance?” Paige asked, her eyes lighting up. Rey wondered how many friends she had left behind and how many would be alive when they found the Resistance. 

"Sounds like it," Han said. 

Rose glanced at her sister. “Have any of you been able to get in touch with them?”

“Not yet,” Han said, running his hand through his hair. Like his son, it was something he did when he was uncomfortable. 

Chewie let out a sad moan. 

Paige’s shoulders tensed and she fidgeted with her tunic. “So we don’t know what we’re walking into.” 

“That’s the thing about war,” Han said, sounding tired, “you _never_ know what you’re walking into.”

Lando clasped Han’s shoulder. “But luck is on your side.” He looked at Paige and Rose. “I’ve never met _anyone_ luckier than Han Solo.”

Neither of them looked reassured. 

“I don’t know about _that,”_ Han said.

“You survived dinner with Darth Vader,” Lando reminded him. 

Rey looked at Ben with wide eyes. She hadn’t heard _that_ story before. 

“Not this story again,” Ben said in a voice low enough that only Rey heard. His tone of voice made Rey imagine a young Ben hearing the same stories about his family over and over again until he got tired of them. She could see him rolling his eyes every time the stories were told. 

“So did you and Chewie,” Han said, pointing between Lando and Chewie. “Leia was also there.”

“Han’s right,” Lando said. _“Leia_ is the reason we survived, and she’s with the Resistance, so they are in good hands.”

Paige exhaled slowly, and Rose patted her knee. 

“Lando has a point,” Rose said in a steady voice that was more calming than Lando’s bravado had been. “General Organa is a strong leader. We should have hope.”

Rey remembered what happened in the original timeline too well to be as hopeful as Rose was.

Ben took her hand and squeezed it gently. _We would have felt it if anything happened to my mom._

Rey swallowed. _I know._

“Are you holding hands?” Paige asked, startling Rey. 

“Be glad that’s all you’ve seen,” Luke muttered.

Rey’s face heated up. 

_“Really?”_ Lando asked, looking far too smug, causing Chewie to let out a loud laugh. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Finn said in a miserable voice. 

_He hasn’t seen_ that _much,_ Rey thought. _He doesn’t need to sound so pained by what little he has seen._

Paige and Rose shared a look that told Rey that they would be asking Finn questions later. He saw them looking at him and sighed. 

Ben tried to let go of her hand, but she tightened her grip so that he couldn’t. He slowly started to relax, growing more comfortable with the attention they were drawing. 

Han looked down at their hands and smiled. 

…

Lando had decided not to go with them. “I’ll be more useful to the Resistance out here,” he said. 

“I’m sure Leia would be happy to see you,” Han said. 

Lando shook his head. “You don’t need to lie.” He received looks of confusion from most of the room, from everyone who had only recently met them. “Leia's not my biggest fan,” he explained. 

Luke snorted. “You have a point, but that was a long time ago.”

“It was, but you won’t change my mind,” Lando said. “Before you leave, I have something for each of you.” He gave out bags of varying sizes. “It’s mostly food and clothes. Eat the food before it goes bad.”

Lando gave Ben the biggest bag. “Promise me you’ll wear some of this.”

“No promises.”

Rey wondered what types of clothing were in the bag. 

Lando shook his head. “You need some colour in your life.”

The bag he gave Rey, smaller than the one he gave Ben, was heavier than Rey had expected. “Take care of this one,” Lando said, nodding at Ben. “He’ll need it.”

“I will,” Rey promised. They would take care of each other.

…

Ben and Han had a moment alone with Lando before they left. When Ben came back, his eyes were watery. 

...

Once they were on the _Falcon,_ Han and Chewie went to the cockpit.

Finn joined Luke for training. When Luke had suggested starting their training immediately, Finn had given Ben a worried look, like he was starting to believe him about the lack of sleep in his future. 

That left Rey and Ben with Paige and Rose. 

“How long have you two been…” Paige said, trailing off. She gestured between Rey and Ben. 

“Been what?” Rey asked, knowing what Paige meant, but needing some time to collect her thoughts. 

“Been romantically involved,” Paige said. 

Ben looked uncomfortable, so she smiled up at him as she answered. “Since Ahch-To,” she said, knowing there were many moments on Ahch-To that she could point to. There was one moment that was the most honest answer, and that moment was the first time they touched hands though their bond. 

Rose was watching them carefully. “And you knew who he was the whole time?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Rey said, but who Ben was and who Rose thought he was weren’t the same. “He is and has always been _Ben Solo.”_

“You know that’s not true,” Ben said. “I–”

“It _is_ true,” Rey said, not allowing him to finish. “You did everything you could to pretend Ben Solo was dead, but you never succeeded.”

“I am capable of terrible acts,” he said. 

“We all are,” Rey reminded him. 

“I agree,” Rose said. 

“You do?” Ben asked in a small voice. 

Rose stood straight and looked certain about her answer. “You can’t change the past,” she told Ben. “It’s what you do _now_ that matters.”

Even if Rey hadn’t been able to sense some of Ben’s emotions, she would have seen that Rose’s words got through to Ben by the expression on his face. His forehead wrinkled, his eyes widened slightly, and his jaw tightened. 

“Rose is right,” Paige said. “What matters is that you’re on our side now. We need all the allies we can get.”

… … …

While they had a new base of operations on Ajan Kloss, the Resistance was in a precarious position. Potential allies were wary of supporting them. Instead of galvanizing potential allies, the destruction of Hosnian Prime made many of them question the value of fighting against the First Order. They didn't want to take the risk. 

Leia knew there could be no peaceful coexistence with the First Order for _anyone,_ but she understood their fear and the temptation to believe cooperation was possible. 

Cooperation was nothing more than an illusion. The First Order would only allow autonomy while their strength still grew. Once their grip on power tightened, the systems they controlled would be strangled– 

–just like what the Empire had done. 

Leia went over their numbers again. The Resistance had enough supplies and credits to last a couple more months _if_ they were lucky. She needed to try again. There had to be _someone_ she could convince to support them discreetly. Discreet support wasn’t what she wanted, but it was what they needed to keep fighting another day. 

There was a loud knock on the door. 

Leia sighed. It had sounded like an urgent knock – a _there was a problem_ knock – a _she didn’t have time to deal with this_ knock. “Come in,” she said, turning her chair to face the door. 

She was still recovering from her near death experience. 

Poe let himself in and closed the door. He was breathing heavily, like he had run over here, but he didn't say anything. Whatever the problem was, it was bad enough that Poe didn’t know _what_ to say. 

Poe _always_ had something to say.

Leia looked at him expectantly. 

Poe winced and ran his hand through his hair. “We have a problem,” he said, avoiding her eyes. “The First Order released some information.” He grimaced. 

“And based on the look on your face, I'm guessing it's safe to assume that information is bad for us." 

“You especially.”

Leia didn't let that deter her. _“Well?”_ she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"It’ll be easier to show you." Poe pulled a data chip out of his pocket and handed it to her. “You need to see this.”

She played it. 

_“Kylo Ren was one of our most powerful allies–”_ a male voice said. 

Images of him in his horrible helmet and cowl appeared before her eyes. This was her first time seeing him like this. 

_“–Kylo Ren is dangerous–”_

Despite her role as a general in the Resistance, she had avoided footage of Kylo Ren. Part of her had been eager to see proof that her son still lived, but her fear that he was following in the footsteps of Darth Vader overrode that desire. 

_"–Kylo Ren is a traitor–"_

This footage was granier, but Ben’s face was clearly recognizable. He was in a large hanger. Leia wondered if this was recent footage. Her hands tightened into fists. 

_"Kylo Ren,”_ a woman’s voice rang out, _“what are you doing?"_

 _"Helping the Resistance escape,"_ Ben said, confirming both his identity and that this was recent footage. 

The footage froze on a close-up of his face.

_“–remember the face of Kylo Ren.”_

Leia drank in the sight of her son. Even though the circumstances weren’t good, she couldn’t help but be relieved to see proof that her son was alive and away from the First Order. If they had captured him, they never would have released this footage because it made them look _weak._

They were afraid of him. 

Poe cleared his throat. 

“How many have seen this?” she asked. 

“Too many to hide it,” Poe answered, confirming her fears. 

"Did they recognize him?"

He nodded. "Within seconds."

Leia closed her eyes.

"Is Kylo Ren _really_ your son?" Poe asked. "Or was that a way to–"

Leia opened her eyes and looked at Poe. _“Ben_ is my son,” she confirmed.

Poe gave her a disappointed look. He had really come over here hoping for an explanation that was more palatable to him than the truth. 

“This won’t be easy to recover from,” he warned.

“No,” Leia agreed, “it won’t be.”

“What’s your plan?”

“I don’t have one,” Leia admitted, looking back at the frozen image of her son. “Not yet.”

…

Word of her son’s previous identity spread through the Resistance like wildfire. Some Resistance members had doubted the rumours, but fewer than she had anticipated. 

Everyone knew who her birth father was. 

Leia had confirmed the rumours. She didn’t want anyone to think she was ashamed of her son. That honesty had a cost that she paid gladly.

Whispers followed her wherever she went.

_“–can’t believe Kylo Ren–”_

_“–not surprised–”_

_“–think we should trust–”_

She had endured this treatment before, but it had never cut so deeply. Leia had never felt the need to defend Darth Vader – to prove people’s assumptions about him wrong–

–but Luke had tried. He had told her and Han about how Darth Vader had died as Anakin Skywalker. Leia hadn’t believed Luke. One final act of good didn’t undo years of evil–

–and that’s what people were now saying about her _son._ None of them believed that there was more to him than Kylo Ren. They couldn’t see past that mask he had once worn, and Leia knew then what she had only guessed at before; Ben had needed the mask to hide his humanity. Even when he had been at his darkest, he had never been as far gone as Darth Vader. 

…

Good news was in short supply, so when Amilyn arrived, Leia was almost overcome with relief. 

“Vice Admiral Holdo,” Poe said politely, “I’m glad to see you.”

“And I you, _Captain_ Dameron.”

“Actually,” Poe said, sounding less smug than Leia would have expected – maybe he had learned the lesson he had needed to learn, “it’s _Commander_ Dameron again.”

Amilyn raised her eyebrows. “I’m glad to hear it.” She turned to Leia and gave her a soft smile. “General Organa, I’m relieved to see how well you look.”

Leia huffed. “I look my age.”

“I’d argue against that,” Amilyn said, “but that’s not what I meant. You are recovering from being in open space without any protective gear. That you’re doing so well is _remarkable–”_

“Never underestimate me,” Leia said, more for the benefit of their growing audience than for Amilyn. 

Amilyn narrowed her eyes, picking up on the tension. “I would never be foolish enough to underestimate you.”

“If only everyone was as wise as you are,” Leia said, leading Amilyn and Poe away from prying eyes. “I’ll show you to your quarters, and then we can catch each other up on everything that has happened.”

...

The _Falcon_ arrived unexpectedly. Leia was relieved that they were back, but some warning would have helped to prepare everyone for their arrival. 

She still had enough sway that Ben wouldn’t be taken prisoner as soon as they landed, but she didn’t have enough sway to convince the rest of the Resistance that they didn’t need to be armed. Even Poe, who had been one of her staunchest defenders, argued that it would be foolish not to be armed. 

Only Amilyn had taken her side, but she had been subtle about it. They both knew that Amilyn needed to continue to be trusted. Her close association with Leia had already planted doubts in the minds of many. 

Leia hoped she could control the inevitable explosion. 

…

Luke and Finn were the first to disembark. 

_"Luke,"_ Leia said under her breath, some of the tension leaving her body at the sight of her brother. He would help bolster the confidence of the Resistance. She walked towards Luke, and he met her halfway. 

He looked old and tired. She wondered if that was how she looked to him. "You changed your hair," he said, speaking to her for the first time in _years._


	8. Chapter 8

They found the Resistance on Ajan Kloss, and they were greeted by the jungle and weapons at the ready. Ben was afraid he was the reason for their welcome. 

Luke and Finn volunteered to go out first, and Ben watched as his mom spoke to Luke for the first time in years. She looked so happy to see him.

None of the weapons turned on Luke or Finn. They continued to face the _Falcon's_ boarding ramp. 

His dad stared at the weapons. "Something's not right." He pointed at Ben. “You stay here, and I’ll find out what’s happening,” he said, exiting the _Falcon_ alone. 

“Do you think it’s because of you?” Paige asked. 

Ben nodded. “Probably.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _Everything is going to be fine,_ he told himself, trying to believe it.

Rose wrinkled her brow. “But how would they know?” 

He didn't know, but so many people in the First Order had reason to reveal his identity. Was it Hux, Phasma, or Pryde? They all had reasons to want him dead. 

Rey touched Ben's arm, which helped ground him in the present moment. "It doesn't matter what they know because we have your back."

Chewie growled in agreement. 

Ben gave them a weak smile. Their support didn't bring him any comfort. He was more afraid of how they would be treated than he was afraid for _himself._ He had expected to eventually be faced with anger and fear – this was just earlier than anticipated. No one on this ship deserved the same level of mistrust as him. They hadn't earned it.

…

His dad returned, and from the look on his face, he didn’t have good news. "They know you were Kylo Ren." He grimaced. "And they _aren’t_ happy.”

Ben ran his hand through his hair. “They have no reason to be happy.” His reputation was well earned.

Rose shared a look with her sister. “What are they going to do?” she asked, sounding concerned, which surprised Ben. He had thought she was angry at him for not telling her he was Kylo Ren. 

Han shrugged. “Nothing.”

 _“Really?”_ Ben asked. Their weapons told him otherwise. 

“For now,” his dad said with a tired sigh. “Your mom has a lot of sway.” 

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not this much,” he said. Like he had warned his mom, they were about to relive what had happened when the galaxy found out Darth Vader was her biological father, except this time the monster was still alive. 

This time was going to be _worse._

Rey crossed her arms. “We’re not going out there.” 

“Yes, we are,” Ben said. He wasn't going to hide. 

Rey narrowed her eyes. She looked like she was about to argue–

“You saved my life," Paige said, drawing everyone's attention. "I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Chewie's deep growl made it clear what he would do to anyone who tried to harm Ben. 

Ben swallowed, but because of his dry throat, it was like swallowing sandpaper. The show of support was overwhelming. Chewie's support he understood because Chewie had known him since the day he was born, but Paige's support surprised him. She barely knew him. 

…

His dad, Paige, and Rose exited the _Falcon_ first. Ben followed with Rey and Chewie at either side. 

Chewie had his bowcaster out, and he was gripping it tightly. 

There were more Resistance members here than First Order intel had determined survived Crait in the original timeline. That was a good thing, but Ben couldn't help wondering how many Resistance members were hidden in the dense green jungle. The ones he could see were openly pointing their weapons at him. While Ben was the target, everyone was so close to him that if anyone fired, he wouldn't be the only one hit.

He was grateful for Lando’s gift of clothing. He had allowed Rey to pick his outfit – too wary of what he would find inside – and she had picked a cream top and dark blue pants. Rey had also given him a worn looking leather jacket to wear. When he had looked in the mirror, he had been startled by how much he looked like his father. Maybe that resemblance would work in their favour. 

Ben inhaled slowly and exhaled slowly. He reminded himself he wasn't walking towards his execution – not yet.

…

“Welcome back,” his mom said with a strained smile. Whatever genuine joy she felt had been dampened by the clear discontent from the majority of the Resistance. 

She was flanked by only two other Resistance members: Poe and Amilyn. Poe surprised him, but he guessed that Poe's loyalty to Ben's mom outweighed his hatred of the man who tortured him. Amilyn wasn't a surprise. He remembered her from his childhood, and it looked like her admiration for his mom hadn't waned over the years. She was a force of nature and Ben was glad she was on his mom's side. 

Ben's mom then did something far more dangerous that he was comfortable with. She walked up to him and embraced him. 

The crowd was vocal in their displeasure. Whatever goodwill his mom had wasn’t enough to overcome her overt show of support.

"You shouldn't be doing this," Ben whispered into her ear. 

His mom pulled back. "Yes, I should." She cupped his face. "I am not going to hide you."

"That's not what you said earlier, when you decided my identity would be a secret."

"You need me to say it, don't you?" His mom moved her hands to his shoulders and maintained eye contact. "You were right, and I was wrong."

Ben raised his eyebrows. 

His dad gave a low whistle. "Did you admit to being wrong?" 

His mom swatted his dad's chest. "I did." She turned back to Ben. "I'm rarely wrong, so don't get used to it."

Despite his worry, Ben smiled at his parents. One thing he could count on was that his parents would joke no matter how dire the situation. They shared a dark sense of humour that he inherited. 

…

Ben's mom instructed Poe and Amilyn to stay behind and keep an eye of things. Their job was to prevent tensions from escalating further. Ben didn't envy them. His dad and Chewie went back on the _Falcon._ Ben suspected they were also monitoring the level of unrest. 

His mom instructed their small group to grab their belongings and ushered them away from where the armed crowd had gathered. Their hasty departure didn't stop Ben from hearing what people thought _should_ happen.

"–this is a joke. He should be–"

"–why isn't he in cuffs? What if he–"

"–we're not safe with Kylo Ren–"

"–one shot is all it would take to–"

"Ignore them," Paige said. She glared at the man who wanted him shot. "They don't know what they're talking about."

"It's dangerous to walk so close to me," Ben said, his pulse racing. "You could–"

"Anyone who shoots a man who isn't fighting back doesn't deserve to be part of the Resistance," Paige said.

Ben gave Paige a flat look. "And you won't be able to tell them that if you're dead."

"No," Paige agreed, "but I'd like to believe the Resistance is _better_ than the First Order. If we're not, what's the point of all this?"

A woman flushed at Paige's words and dragged the man next to her away. It looked like Paige's words had shamed her. 

Finn nodded. “Paige has a point–” 

"My sister _always_ has a point," Rose said, cutting in, "but this time everyone should listen because she's right."

"Killing a man in cold blood is something the First Order does," Finn continued. He lowered his voice so only they could hear. "I would know."

 _It's something I used to do,_ Ben thought. That's why everyone was so afraid of him, why they hated him. 

Ben's mom walked over to them. "Our supporters are quiet, but we do have them."

"You mean that _you_ have supporters," Ben said. 

"Yes," his mom said, "but that will change."

Ben arched his eyebrow. "You're more optimistic than me."

"That's nothing new," Luke muttered. 

Rey elbowed Luke, and he glared at her, but stayed quiet at the look on her face. 

His mom led them into a hangar that appeared to be their operations area, housing, and the mess hall. 

“You shouldn’t bunk with everyone else,” Leia explained. “It’ll make them uncomfortable.”

Ben nodded. "I'll stay on the _Falcon–"_

"No," his mom said, "you can't look like you're hiding." She led them to a small room. “This is close enough to me that you can find me if there are any problems. I’ll show the rest of you–”

“I’ll stay with Ben,” Rey said, her tone inviting no arguments. 

“You will?” Ben asked. 

Rey nodded. “If it's fine with you.” 

“Yes!” Ben said. “I mean, I’m fine with it.” His face heated up.

Leia raised her eyebrows. “There’s only one small bed.”

Rey grabbed Ben’s hand. “That’s okay.”

Leia stared at their hands and smiled. “Get settled. I'll show everyone else where they're staying and then we’ll all meet in my office.”

…

Ben and Rey put their belongings on the desk. His mom was honest when she said the room was small. There was a small desk, a chair, and a tiny and uncomfortable looking cot. 

That he would be sharing with Rey. 

"Are you okay?" Rey asked.

Ben shrugged. 

"You can talk to me," Rey continued. "I know you didn't expect anyone to know you were Kylo Ren–"

"I don't have anything to say. They know, and I'll face the consequences."

"You won't face them alone."

"I should–"

Rey put her hand on his shoulder. "I won't let you. You're not alone, whether you like it or not."

Ben smiled. "I like it."

_"Good."_

"You're angry," Ben said. Her emotions were so strong that it was hard to distinguish between what she felt and what he felt. The difference between her anger and his was that her anger felt justified, like it had been earned. His had often come from nothing. 

He hadn’t felt that type of anger in this time, since before his mom freed his mind from Palpatine’s influence. How much of that anger had been his?

Rey’s jaw tightened. "I have every right to be angry."

"I never said you didn't."

"They are _wrong_ about you," she said, pacing.

"They don't know that, and they have no reason to _believe_ that."

Rey stopped pacing. "We'll have to give them a reason."

"How?"

Rey scrunched her nose. "I'm not sure."

"A problem for later."

Rey wrinkled her brow. "And what's more pressing?"

"This." Ben bent down and kissed Rey. "We're finally alone," he said against her lips. 

"We are." Rey sat back on the small cot they would have to share, dragging him with her. She patted the spot next to her. 

Ben sat down and pulled her into another kiss. He wanted to forget his problems – the Resistance, the war, Palpatine – and stay in here with Rey forever. He licked her bottom lip and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She liked being in his arms, and he liked learning what she liked.

Everything else could wait. 

…

Ben and Rey were the last to arrive at his mom's office. All the chairs were taken at the small table – Paige and Rose were sitting on the floor – so Ben and Rey leaned against the wall. 

"I hope you didn't run into any problems along the way," his mom said in a dry voice. 

His dad snorted.

…

Everyone took turns summarizing recent events for his mom. She paled at the mention of Palpatine, and she pursed her lips when Luke described how they got the dagger. Ben wished Luke hadn’t mentioned how Ben had distracted the creature. 

He had a feeling his mom wouldn’t let that go. Rey hadn't.

His mom then told them what had happened to the Resistance. His breath caught in his throat when his mom mentioned being exposed in space without any protective gear. He hadn’t noticed, but now that he was paying attention, he could see the tremor in her hands. 

The Resistance had managed to sneak down to Crait without being detected. The First Order had attempted to track the _Raddus_ through lightspeed, but whatever Finn, Paige, and Rose had done on the _Supremacy_ worked. 

Despite their successful escape, the Resistance had few allies and fewer funds. They could use whatever help they could get. 

_So this is what it feels like,_ Ben thought, _to be on this side._

_It’s not all bad,_ Rey replied. _At least we know we are doing good._

 _Are we?_ Ben asked. For all he knew, they could be doing more harm than good. 

_We’re trying._

That would have to be enough. 

...

Against all instinct for self-preservation, Ben was in the middle of the mess hall. His mom had told them they should go eat together as publicly as possible. She was meeting with his dad, Luke, and Chewie. 

Rey had led the way, no one questioning how she knew where to go. They grabbed their food, and then Rey picked the most exposed table. He sat next to her. 

Finn sat on his other side, and Paige and Rose sat across from them. They were chatting casually, or more accurately, they were pretending to chat casually. All of them were alert to the threats he faced. The mess hall was far quieter than a room its size with this many people should be. All eyes were on him, even the ones that were pretending not to stare. 

Poe joined them. “Hope the food isn’t too bad.” He clapped Finn on the shoulder and sat across from him, next to Paige. 

“It’s fine,” Rey said between bites. 

Ben laughed. “You’d eat anything.” Except the green milk on Ahch-To. Only Luke would be adventurous enough to try that.

“Almost anything,” Rey agreed, “but there’s some seasoning – no spice though.”

Poe leaned forward. “The General told me that this is the first attempt to make _him_ look normal.” 

Ben leaned back. “How am I doing?”

“If you complain about the food, you’ll fit right in,” Poe said. “Or maybe everyone will think you’re a snob. It’s hard to say.”

“I’ll just eat,” Ben said. 

“Probably for the best,” Poe said, stealing bread from Finn’s plate. 

A blonde woman joined them. She sat next to Rose and didn’t look at Ben. “We should catch up,” she said to Rose and Paige. 

Paige nodded. “How did you–”

“Not here,” the woman interrupted. She glanced at Ben. “Come with me.”

Rose and Paige followed the woman out of the mess hall. 

Poe took their food. 

"Who was that?" Ben whispered to Rey. 

"Kaydel Ko Connix," Rey said. “She works in communications.”

She had made it obvious that she didn’t want to be around Ben. Winning over the Resistance wasn’t going to be easy. 

…

Conversation in the mess hall slowly resumed as Ben continued to eat quietly. The anger and unease was apparent, but nobody had confronted him yet. 

Ben’s dad met them in the mess hall. 

“Are you here to eat?” Finn asked. 

His dad shook his head. “No, I’m here to get my son.” He looked over at Ben. “We should both talk to your mom.”

 _Will you come with me?_ Ben asked. 

Rey put her hand on his thigh. _Whatever you need._

“Rey’s coming too,” Ben said. 

His dad looked at Rey. “I guess she is.” He didn't sound surprised. 

…

They met his mom back in her office. “Rey,” she said, “I wasn’t expecting you to join us.”

“I want her here,” Ben said. 

His mom gestured for them to sit. With only them in the room, there were enough chairs for everyone at the table. “You dad has something he wants to tell me,” she explained. “He said you should be here.” 

His dad ran his hand through his hair. “It’s about Luke.”

A chill came over Ben. “We don’t need to talk about this,” he said. 

His dad leaned forward. “Your mom needs to know.”

Ben started to sweat. “You can tell her.” He wasn’t ready to talk about this. 

Ben zoned out while his dad explained what happened at the temple that night. He crossed his arms, holding himself tightly. He stared at the wall, afraid to close his eyes because he didn’t want to see that familiar green light. 

Rey bumped his arm with her shoulder, giving him something else to focus on. He looked down at where they were touching and noticed that his shirt was damp. The cream didn’t hide the sweat. 

“He _wouldn’t,”_ his mom said, the disbelief clear in his voice. He always knew his mom would never believe Luke was capable of doing anything wrong. She had always had an idealized view of the man, but he was just that, a man. All men had flaws. 

Ben had learned that lesson the hard way. He had thought his grandfather was strong, someone whose footsteps he should follow, but he was nothing more than a puppet whose strings had been pulled by Palpatine. Just like Kylo Ren. 

“I don’t think he would have done it,” his dad said, “but Luke told me that he ignited his lightsaber while our son was sleeping.”

His mom leaned her forehead on her hand. “Why didn’t he tell us?” she asked in a tired voice. 

“He was a coward.” His dad’s voice shook from anger. 

His mom stood up and walked over to him. “We never should have sent you to Luke.” She put her hand on his arm, and he flinched away, causing her to wince. “I’m sorry.”

“It happened,” Ben said, not ready to forgive. He had every reason to believe his mom’s regret was sincere, but he hadn’t had enough time to heal from the wounds her actions led to. 

“Are you okay?” his dad asked. 

Ben looked at his mom. “Are we done here?”

She wrung her hands. “I suppose–”

“Good.” Ben stood up. “I’ll be in my quarters.”

 _Do you want some time alone?_ Rey asked. 

_No,_ Ben answered, _I don’t want to be alone._

He left with Rey. 

… … …

Kaydel led them outside, far enough away that they wouldn’t be overheard. Rose had never felt like an outsider among the Resistance. It would take some getting used to. 

“Did you know?” Kaydel asked, sitting on the trunk of an overturned tree. 

Rose sat next to her. “Not at first.”

Paige leaned on a nearby tree and watched them talk. 

“Do you trust him?” Kaydel asked. 

Rose hesitated. “He’s on our side.”

Kaydel narrowed her eyes. “But you don’t trust him.”

Rose didn’t. “Not entirely.” 

“He won’t turn against us,” Paige said with a certainty Rose didn’t share. 

“How can you be sure?” Kaydel asked.

Paige sat next to Kaydel. “Because he wants to do the right thing,” she said. “His _family_ is here.” 

Kaydel crossed her arms. “That didn’t stop him from turning the first time.” 

“It didn’t,” Paige agreed. 

At the sound of footsteps, they stopped talking. Rose tensed up and shared a look with Paige. She didn’t want to get into a fight with anyone – not with allies and friends. 

Kaydel stood up to greet whoever was coming, and the sources of the footsteps came into view. Rose relaxed her shoulders because it was only Finn and Poe. 

Kaydel turned back to Paige. “Why are you defending him?” 

Paige gave her a small smile. “He saved my life.”

Kaydel and Poe shared a surprised look. 

“None of us would have made it off the _Supremacy_ without Ben’s help,” Finn said, standing next to Kaydel. 

Rose nodded in agreement. 

Paige gestured to her stomach. “I was shot.”

Rose squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. That was the most terrified she had ever been. She had already lost her parents and her home, losing Paige would have been more than she could have handled. “It was bad,” she said, grabbing her sister’s hand. 

“It was Ben’s idea to try to heal her with the Force,” Finn explained. 

Kaydel walked towards Paige. “He healed you?” she asked in a small voice. 

“He did,” Paige confirmed. “With Rey’s help.”

Kaydel stared at Paige’s stomach, where the wound would have once been. “But he’s _Kylo Ren.”_

“He _was_ Kylo Ren,” Finn corrected.

Poe raised his eyebrows. “You believe that?” 

“I saw what he did on Jakku,” Finn said. “I have _nightmares_ about what he did on Jakku, but Ben’s different now.”

“He may be different,” Poe said, “but is he different _enough?”_

“I’m not sure,” Finn admitted. 

Rose bit her lip. “Me neither.”

“I think he is,” Paige said. “If I hadn’t seen him use the Force the way he did on the _Supremacy,_ I wouldn’t have believed he was Kylo Ren. He’s _nothing_ like the stories say.”

“It’ll take a lot to convince the Resistance,” Poe said.

“We don’t have to convince everyone that he’s _good,”_ Rose said. “We need to convince them that he’s _useful.”_

Kaydel exhaled. “That’s possible,” she said. “There are already some in the higher ranks who want his intel.”

“I’d be happy to interrogate him,” Poe said. “Return the favour.”

Rose shook her head. “We can’t treat him like a prisoner.”

“Maybe not,” Finn said, “but that won’t stop people from treating him like one.”

Rose agreed with Finn. She didn’t know if she could trust Ben, but ostracizing him wouldn’t do them any good. They needed his help, and she had a feeling that even though he hadn’t earned it yet, he would regain her trust. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags have been updated for future chapters.

Rey guided Ben back to their room. He had a haunted look in his eyes – the look he had whenever the Jedi temple was brought up – and it worried her how much it affected him. 

She closed the door behind them, sat him down on the cot, and sat next to him. 

He put his face in his hands and inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She had noticed him using his breathing to calm down when he was distressed, and she was relieved that he was using it now. 

Rey didn't know if she should talk to him or touch him. She didn't know how to comfort him, so she watched him and waited. 

Ben repeated his breathing exercise several times before his breathing returned to a natural pace. He sat up, and even in the dull lighting of their room Rey could see that his eyes were rimmed red. "I'm ready to talk," he said in a rough voice. "I'm ready to tell you the full story of what happened at the temple and with the students who followed me."

"You don't owe me–"

"I know," he said, cutting her off, "but I owe it to _myself._ I've never talked about this before – with anyone – and I think I need to."

"Okay." Rey touched his arm. "I'm listening."

Ben turned towards her, but he didn't look her in the eye; instead, he took both her hands in his and stared down at them as he talked. "I'm not sure where to start."

"What happened after you defended yourself from Luke?"

His grip on her hands tightened. "I thought I killed him," he said, "and sometimes I still wish I had. I've wanted him dead for a long time, and it's a hard habit to break."

"What happened next?" Rey asked, trying to keep him from getting lost in his negative thoughts. 

"The temple exploded," he said in a flat voice.

She tried to keep her voice gentle. "How?"

"I don't know," he said with a bitter laugh. "There was lightning, and part of me thought that I must have caused it but–"

"You've never used Force lightning before," she said, remembering his surprise when she had used it for the first and only time, "but I have. Palpatine uses Force lightning, doesn't he?"

"He does," Ben confirmed, looking up at her. "I don't know how he did it. He wasn't on the planet, even as unstable as I was, I would have noticed. He wasn't _there."_

"I believe you."

"What does that mean for us?" he asked, biting down on his lip. "If he finds out where the Resistance is, can he destroy them on his own with Force lightning?" 

Rey ran her hands up his arms, trying to soothe some of his tension. "If he could, he already would have." She didn't want to cause Ben pain, but she needed more information. "Were all the voices you heard Palpatine?"

Ben gave a short nod. 

"And you heard them your whole life?" 

He closed his eyes. "As long as I can remember."

Rey moved closer to him and wrapped her arm around his back. "So why didn't he destroy the temple earlier?"

Ben opened his eyes. "I wasn't ready to turn," he said, but there was some doubt in his voice. 

Rey held him tighter. "I don't think that's the reason."

Ben's eyes widened. "Then why?"

"I think it's like Snoke," she said, remembering the way he needed the Praetorian Guard to subdue them while he tore into Luke's mind. "Palpatine isn't as powerful as he would like us to believe. He had to have somehow saved up power for years – harnessed it somehow – and then used that power as soon as it was ready."

Ben leaned into her. "You don't think he waited until the time was right?"

Rey shook her ahead. "I don't." If Palpatine had been waiting, he would have waited until Ben was more fully lost to the dark side. She had a sneaking suspicion that Luke had been influenced by Palpatine that night to give Ben the push he needed. "What was Palpatine like when you met him?" 

He shuddered. "Powerful." 

Rey felt Ben’s fear. "When he asked you to kill me, did he seem patient?"

"No."

"I think he's afraid that the two of us are strong enough to beat him."

Ben moved out of her embrace so that he was facing her, and he put his hands on her shoulders. "We're not," he said seriously, sounding both certain and afraid.

"Maybe not when he's at full strength," Rey agreed, "but I think he's afraid we're strong enough to beat him together." They had to be. 

Ben tilted his head down, maintaining eye contact. "That's not a risk I'm willing to take."

"Then we don't take _that_ risk," she said, not wanting to risk him having to face Palpatine alone. If she were somehow incapacitated, she wanted him to have support when facing the monster who had poisoned his childhood and stolen the life he could have had. "We're not alone. We have Luke and maybe Finn too."

Ben exhaled slowly. "He won't expect that."

"That's my hope."

"I haven't told you about the other students yet," Ben said, his face pale and drawn. 

"It can wait." She didn’t like how tired he looked. 

"It shouldn't." 

"You're exhausted," Rey said. _"I'm_ exhausted. We should rest first." 

Ben allowed her to push him down so he was laying on the cot. His feet hung off the end, so he had to bend his knees, which didn't give her much space to lay beside him. 

She curled against him and used his chest as a pillow. "Is this okay?" she asked. 

"Yes," Ben said, pulling the blanket over them and wrapping his arms around her. 

Rey had never been held like this before. She decided that she liked it, and she wanted to savour the moment, but she must have been more tired than she thought because she was unable to stay awake. 

…

Awareness slowly returned to Rey. Often when she woke, she jerked awake, startled by a sound, but she knew she was safe in Ben's arms. She could risk not being fully alert. 

"Are you sleeping?" Ben whispered. 

Their legs had tangled together while sleeping and Ben's knee was digging into her leg, but she didn't want to move. "No," she said, nuzzling against his neck. 

"Can I tell you what happened?" he asked, his voice hesitant. 

"Yes." 

"Three students who had been off planet arrived before I left, and they followed me." His voice was devoid of emotion, but his racing heart revealed how affected he was by this story. "I killed Hennix first.” He swallowed. “I had never killed anyone before."

Rey raised her head off his chest and looked up at him. The sight of his watery eyes caused her chest to feel tight. "Was it self-defense?"

Ben nodded. "It was an accident, but an accident I'm responsible for." He pursued his lips. "Tai died next." This time his voice shook from emotion.

It was clear to Rey that he had cared deeply about Tai, that his death had changed him. "How did he die?"

Ben furrowed his brow. "You don't think I killed him?" 

Rey sat up and moved his head into her lap. "You would have told me if you had." She ran her hand through his hair. 

"Ren – he was the leader of the Knights of Ren. He killed Tai."

"And you killed Ren," she said, realizing that Ren had been his first intentional kill and providing further proof that he hadn't been all that far gone yet. 

He clenched his jaw. "I did."

Rey didn’t want to push Ben, but he had said he wanted to tell her the full story. "And the third student?"

"I killed Voe next." He closed his eyes. "I wanted to. Don't try to excuse it."

Rey's hand stilled. "I wasn't going to."

He opened his eyes, but didn't look at her. "I understand if you want–"

Rey covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't say that. I want to be with you and learning more about your past _won't_ change that. I know who you were, but more importantly, I know who you _are._ I won't change my mind."

He nodded, so she removed her hand from his mouth. 

"I'm trying to believe you," he said, his voice so quiet she barely heard it. 

"Do you think I'm lying?" she asked, worried that he didn’t trust her. 

"No," he said, causing her to let out a relieved sigh, "I just find it hard to trust that anything good is real."

"I'm real," she said firmly. "This is real. _We're_ real."

...

They took turns getting ready. Ben went first, and it didn’t take him long. He came out of the refresher wearing an outfit similar to the day before. 

Rey went second. Cleaning up and putting on a tunic, vest, and leggings was easy enough – though her arms felt bare without her wrappings – but she didn’t know what to do with her hair. 

She let out a frustrated sigh and knocked over her brush. 

Ben knocked on the refresher door. “Is everything alright?”

Rey opened the door. “You’re going to make fun of me.”

“No I won’t." Ben pinched his brows together. "What’s wrong?”

Rey sighed. "I want my hair out of my face, but I don't know what to do with it."

"Can I help?" 

"You want to do my hair?" she asked. 

"If that's okay–"

"Yes," she agreed, "you just surprised me."

He took the brush from her and gathered all of her hair to her left side. "I'm going to put it into a simple braid if that's okay."

Rey watched him through the mirror. "That works." 

He put her hair into sections. "Alderaan had a lot of traditions when it came to hair, the royal family especially–"

"Are you giving me a royal braid?" Rey asked, concerned about having anything too showy. 

Ben laughed. "No, not unless you want one, though my mom would comment." He started braiding her hair close to where he parted it. 

“Definitely not," she said. "What type of braid is this?"

"A side braid," he said. The braid now reached the top of her ear. "My mom told me it was a popular style among young women when she showed me how to do it." As he spoke into, his breath brushed against her neck. "And it'll keep your hair out of your face."

Rey couldn't remember anyone doing her hair. It felt nice. 

Ben pulled more hair into the braid as he braided past her ear. She handed him her hair tie, and she thought he was done once he wrapped it around the end of her hair, but he started pulling at the braid. 

"What are you doing?"

"Loosening the braid makes it look softer," he explained. 

She watched him work, and he was right, the braid was looser. The style was different than she was used to, but she liked it. "Thank you."

Ben smiled. "Anytime."

...

No one approached them as they headed to the mess hall for breakfast, but whispers followed them, whispers that increased in volume once Rey grabbed Ben's hand. 

She was relieved that he didn't try to take his hand away from hers because it showed that he had been listening to her, that he wasn't going to pull away from her. 

He held her hand until they got to the front of the food line and needed two hands to hold their trays. They both got porridge with dried fruit, bread, and caf. 

Rey was almost overwhelmed by how full the mess was. In the original timeline Ajan Kloss had never had this many people. She didn't know where they would be welcomed to sit. 

"Over there," Ben said, nodding in the direction of Kaydel who was waving at them. 

Rey raised her eyebrows and Ben shrugged. She followed him over to Kaydel's table. They put their trays down and sat across from her.

"I didn't introduce myself properly the last time we saw each other," Kaydel said, putting her hand out for Rey to shake. "I'm Lieutenant Connix."

Rey shook her hand. "Rey."

"I know," Kaydel said with a smile. "And you're Ben Solo." She put out her hand for him to shake, which he did stiffly. Kaydel gestured to the man sitting beside her. He had shoulder length grey hair and wore a trench coat. "I'd like to introduce you both to General Ematt."

General Ematt nodded at Rey and Ben. "Kaydel has shared some interesting stories with me. Are they true?"

Rey shared a look with Ben. "What stories?" she asked.

The general leaned forward. "That the two of you can heal with the Force."

"We did," Ben confirmed, "but only once, and we're still learning the limitations."

"Remarkable," General Ematt said. 

Paige came over and sat next to Kaydel. "What's remarkable?"

General Ematt gestured at Rey and Ben. "Them healing you."

Paige smiled. "I'm very grateful. We're lucky to have them on our side."

"You've given me a lot to think about," General Ematt said, picking up his tray. He looked at Ben. "We'll talk later." 

Rey watched the general leave. 

"He's going to give you a chance," Kaydel said to Ben. "That's more than a lot of the High Command is willing to do."

"Thank you," Ben said. 

Kaydel shrugged with one shoulder. "I didn't do it for you." She smiled at Paige. _"Someone_ convinced me to help."

"You did the right thing," Paige said. 

"Who else is sympathetic?" Rey asked. 

Kaydel winced. "Not too many people in the High Command, but some of the lower ranks, mostly those who admire General Organa."

"It's a start," Ben said. 

Rey took a bite of her porridge. It had gone cold, but she didn't care. She was too busy thinking about how they could get the Resistance to warm up to Ben. 

...

Except for meals, Rey and Ben mostly kept to themselves. They had gotten into the habit of disappearing into the jungle to explore their bond.

Today they were meditating.

Rey _hated_ meditating. After what felt like hours, she opened her eyes and looked at Ben. His eyes were closed, and he looked almost serene. She let out a deep sigh. 

The corner of Ben's mouth twitched. 

"How can you stand meditating for so long?" she asked. 

Ben opened his eyes. "Maybe I find the company calming?"

She picked up a small rock and threw it at him. 

He ducked easily and put his hands out in surrender. "Very calming." His smile grew. 

Rey stood up. "I'm done for today."

"But it's so peaceful out here."

Rey scoffed. "If you want to keep meditating, you can meditate alone."

"I don't like that option," he said, leaning back on his hands. "What are my other choices?"

"We could go back to the base," Rey said, nodding in the direction they came from.

"And worry about someone losing control and shooting at me?" Ben shook his head. "No thanks."

"I suppose we could stay out here longer, but there are better things we can do than meditate."

"Oh?"

Rey tilted her head. "You know what I mean."

He smiled. "But I want you to say it."

"Come over here and kiss me."

Ben came over to her and pulled her into his arms. "Gladly." He leaned down and kissed her. 

Rey hadn't thought kissing could get better, but since arriving on Ajan Kloss, they'd had more opportunities to practice.

She wasn't complaining. 

…

Just before the sun was going to set, Rey and Ben started walking back to the Resistance base. 

She gave Ben a smug smile. His hair was a mess from her running her hands through it. 

"What?" he asked.

"Your hair," Rey said, waving at it. "Lean down and I'll help you fix it before we run into anyone."

He leaned down, and she did her best to fix his hair. It wasn't perfect, but it was less messy now. "It'll do."

She knew she was flushed and her lips felt a bit swollen, but there was nothing she could do about that.

...

Rey saw Poe standing beside the _Falcon._ He waved at Rey, and then he nudged Rose with his elbow and pointed at Rey and Ben. 

Rose waved them over. 

"Good to see you," Poe said in a loud voice. 

Rey raised her eyebrows. 

"Steer clear of General Cypress," Poe continued in a much quieter voice. He nodded in the direction of a thin man with short grey hair that Rey recognized. Leia hadn't had a very favourable option of him. "He has been the most vocal member of High Command."

"Vocal how?" Rey asked, a raid she already knew the answer. 

"Vocal about wanting Ben locked up or executed," Rose answered. 

_"Executed,"_ Rey said harshly. "That _won't_ happen." She glared at General Cypress' back.

"None of us want that to happen," Rose said, touching Rey's arm. 

Rey believed her.

"None of you?" Ben asked, clearly skeptical.

"We're all firmly on team cooperation," Poe said. "Admittedly, some of us are less enthusiastic than others, but we have your back."

Ben gave Poe a nod. "I appreciate that."

Rey worried about who had General Cypress' back. 

…

Sharing a room was the best part of being on Ajan Kloss. 

They should have been sleeping, but Rey didn't want to sleep–

–and neither did Ben. He kissed his way down her neck, occasionally nipping at her skin. "Is this alright?" 

"Yes," Rey said, her voice rough, "it feels good." She moaned when he found a particularly sensitive spot near her collarbone. 

…

They were on their way out of the base when Ben stopped walking. "Look who's coming," he said. 

Rey followed his gaze and saw Snap Wexley approach them. They hadn't talked to him, but whenever they were in the same room, he looked at Ben with open hostility. 

"Captain Wexley," Ben said with forced politeness, "what can we do for you?"

Snap crossed his arms. "You could leave."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "You'll have to be disappointed then."

"The Resistance doesn't want you here," Snap said. 

Rey stood between them. "You don't speak for everyone."

Snap took a step back. "I speak for enough."

"Is that all?" Ben asked. 

Snap's eyebrow twitched. "No," he said, "General Organa would like to see you both in her office."

Ben opened his mouth, but Rey was afraid he would say something stupid, so she cut him off. "Thank you for letting us know." Rey grabbed Ben's arm. "Let's go."

Rey kept quiet until they were far enough away that Snap wouldn't hear. "You didn't have to antagonize him."

"He antagonized _me."_

Rey gave him an unimpressed look. 

"Fine," he said, "I'll be polite next time."

"Good. We need all the support we can get." 

…

When they arrived at Leia's office, Rey saw Finn and Rose talking to Leia. She was surprised to see Luke and C-3PO on the other side of the office, as far away from everyone else as they could get. 

"Why did you send Wexley to get us?" Ben asked.

Leia gestured for them to sit at the table. "To see if I could trust him."

Ben sat down, and Rey sat next to him. "And you can't," Ben said. 

Leia sat across from them, Finn and Rose sitting to her left. "I think I can." 

Ben leaned forward. "He said he wanted me to leave."

Leia didn't look phased. "He still delivered the message."

Rey looked over at Luke and C-3PO. Neither of them joined the rest of them at the table. 

"Why are we here?" Rey asked. 

"Threepio can't translate the dagger, not with his current protocols," Rose said. She looked over at the droid. "But I found something that might work."

"We thought it best for you both and Finn to be here for the translation," Leia explained. "As Force users, you might pick up on something."

"There's more, isn't there?" Ben asked. 

Rose nodded. "I'll have to erase Threepio's memories."

"Can't you back them up?" Ben asked. 

"Yes," Luke said, walking towards the table, "but droids are never the same after a memory wipe."

"I understand this is important," C-3PO said. "I've agreed."

"No," Rey said. 

Luke furrowed his brow. "No?" 

"We don't need to do this," Rey said. She looked at Ben, and he nodded. "We know where the dagger leads."

"How?" Finn asked. 

_It's okay,_ Ben told Rey. _You can tell them._

"For us," Rey said, taking Ben's hand, "this has already happened."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer the usual wait! The next chapter won't take as long.

Ben had known they couldn’t hide the truth forever, that it was getting more difficult to lie, but he hadn’t been ready for the truth to be revealed so soon. 

As earned as it was, he wasn’t looking forward to facing judgment. The majority of the Resistance hated him for the smallest of his crimes. He wondered what they would do when they found out he had done so much worse. 

Ben watched Rey as everyone else reacted to her words. Her jaw was tense and her posture rigid, like she was preparing for a fight. Her gaze was defiant, a look he had too often been on the receiving end of, though not recently. "You don't believe me," she said, sounding disappointed.

"I don't understand," Rose said, the first to respond and admit confusion. 

Rey looked at Ben, silently asking him to help her explain. 

Ben squeezed her hand in a way he hoped was reassuring. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “It means that we lived a year that hasn’t happened yet – a year we want to prevent.” He looked across the table at the others, willing them to believe him. 

Rose tilted her head. "You're saying you're from the future?" She sounded like she couldn’t believe she was saying those words. 

Ben understood her disbelief. "I am."

“We are,” Rey agreed. 

Ben’s mom glanced at Luke. "I've never heard of anything like this before."

Ben didn't blame his mom for her skepticism. He’d experienced time travel, and he found it hard to believe. Still, he didn't like the way his mom, even after everything she had learned, looked to Luke for answers. 

Not that Luke gave her an answer. He looked lost in thought. 

Finn turned to Luke. “Is it possible to travel through time?"

Luke shook his head. "Not that I've heard of."

Once Ben would have believed that if Luke hadn’t heard of it, it wasn’t possible, but Ben was no longer a lost boy who looked up to an uncle who was repeatedly disappointed in him. He was now a man who had seen more of the Force than Luke could dream of. He had been to some of the darkest places, and with Rey, he had seen the beauty of the light side of the Force. 

Ben's mom leaned her head on her hand, her forefinger brushing against her temple. "Could it be a vision?" she asked, looking for an explanation she could understand. 

Rose leaned forward. “Force users have visions?” 

“Visions happen,” Luke explained, joining them at the table, sitting as far away from them as he could get, “but they are never clear enough to mistake for reality, and time travel… it can’t be possible."

Ben didn't care if Luke believed them. He looked at his mom. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” She paused. “I have seen many impossible things, but what you’re claiming is... I don’t know what to believe.”

Finn wrinkled his brow. “Then why do they believe it to be true?”

Finn’s uncanny ability to know the truth made Ben uncomfortable. He had no intention of lying, but there was some comfort that came from knowing you _could_ lie. Finn took that comfort away.

Luke scratched his cheek. “I don’t know.”

Ben didn't know whether to believe him because Luke _rarely_ shared useful information.

“If I may interrupt,” C-3PO said, “the odds of what they’re claiming is 968,328,283,924 to one.”

Ben snorted. C-3PO was the same as he always was, and because they weren’t going to wipe his memory, he would continue to be himself. He was relieved that Rey had revealed the truth because as annoying as C-3PO could be, Ben didn’t want him to be wiped away. He had spent so much time with the droid as a child.

"Thank you." His mom smiled at the C-3PO. "That was very helpful." 

“Better odds than I expected,” Luke muttered. 

Rey let out a small puff of air. “You’ve seen more impossible things.” She crossed her arms. 

Ben didn’t know if she was referring to this Luke or the one from their timeline, but he could tell she was annoyed. He didn’t envy Luke. 

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Like what?”

“I saw you talking to your dead teacher,” Rey said, and that was news to Ben. He had known about Force ghosts. Luke had told him many stories of being visited by Force ghosts. That's part of the reason that Ben had believed his grandfather had been talking to him–

–but it had been Palpatine all along. Ben had never been visited by a Force ghost. 

He would have to ask Rey about the experience when they were alone. He wanted to be able to tell the difference between a true Force ghost and a deception. 

Luke sighed. “That’s different.”

“How?” Rose asked. “Both seem _equally_ impossible to me.”

Finn nodded in agreement. 

Ben tried to hide his smile. His uncle wasn't prepared for Rose's ire. 

"It would explain how close they are," his mom said, looking between Ben and Rey, “how well they understand each other.” She sat up straight and stared at Ben and Rey. "You have more shared history than any of us realized."

“We do,” Rey agreed. 

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We weren't on the same side in the original timeline."

Rey put her hand on his thigh. "It was more complicated than that."

"Was it?" Ben asked. From what he remembered, it was a clear explanation of their roles. After the events on the _Supremacy,_ they didn't see each other in person again for nearly a year. 

"Yes," Rey said, "you wanted to work together to defeat Palpatine."

That was only part of the story. "But I also wanted to hold onto power." One of the reasons he had wanted to defeat Palpatine was because he hadn't wanted to have another master "We would have stayed at odds if we didn't come back."

"No, we wouldn't have," Rey said, tightening her grip on his thigh. "You were dying."

She was right. The only reason Ben was alive was because they had travelled back in time. He had forgotten how close to death he had been. It was like it happened in another lifetime. Ben covered Rey’s hand with his. "We don't know what would have happened."

"I know it would have been worse,” Rey said, scrunching up her face, “without you…" She didn't finish her sentence and her eyes were glassy. 

“I don’t know what to think,” Finn said, leaning back in his chair, “but pretend we believe you for a moment. How bad was it?”

Rey blinked back tears. “It was bad.”

Ben didn't like seeing Rey this upset. "It was," he agreed, "but things are already better." 

He wasn't looking forward to answering their questions about the original timeline. 

…

Ben and Rey took turns explaining. Rey told them how decimated the Resistance had been, and Ben shared how powerful the First Order has been. 

Ben needed to share his own role in the destruction the First Order had wrought. "I was–"

Rey cut in. "Still part of the First Order."

"I was more than just part of the First Order," Ben said. 

Rey narrowed her eyes. "Do you really want to brag about how powerful you were?"

Ben shook his head. "You know it's not that."

"Don't wallow in guilt for things you can't change," Rey said in a soft voice. 

"He has changed them," Rose said to Rey, and then she turned to Ben. "From what you have told us, you've _both_ changed things. Whatever you did the first time, it _hasn't_ happened."

Ben slumped back into his chair. "I'll always remember the things I've done."

 _"Good,"_ Rose said. 

"How is that good?" Rey asked, ready to defend Ben. 

"It means Ben won't make the same mistakes," Rose explained. 

Ben was grateful for her confidence. It was enough for him to start to hope that they would be able to be friends one day. 

…

As they shared more details of their former future, expressions grew more grave. Ben could tell that none of them wanted to believe him and Rey. It wasn't the thought of time travel alone that fueled their doubts. The future they described was one that none of them wanted to be true – even in an alternate timeline – because of the fear that it could happen again.

…

The discussion moved towards the Sith wayfinders. Ben told them how he located one on Mustafar, killing many Sith cultists in his pursuit of the wayfinder. 

Rey told them an edited version of what happened on Kef Bir. She left out the details of how he nearly died. 

His mom stood up. "Thank you for telling us–"

“There’s more,” Rey said. 

Ben raised his eyebrows. “There is?”

“There are former Stormtroopers on Kef Bir,” Rey said. 

His mom sat back down. 

“There _are?”_ Finn asked, hope in his voice.

“They refused to fire on civilians,” Rey explained. “Just like you refused.”

Finn's eyes were filled with an excitement Ben hadn't seen before. “We have to meet them. They’ll _help_ us.”

Rose put her hand on Finn's arm. "If anyone can convince them to help, it's you."

Finn smiled at her. 

“More Stormtroopers defecting is good news,” his mom agreed, “but we can’t make any decisions yet. We have a lot to think about." She stood up again. "That's enough for today,"

Rey stood up. "That means that you want to talk about us while we're not here," she said bluntly. 

His mom didn’t disagree. "We can't make any decisions yet." she said. 

Ben tried not to let his disappointment show. "You don't believe us." 

His mom sighed. "I don't know what to think." She sounded tired. "We don't share this with anyone outside of this room." 

No one argued with her. 

…

It didn't escape Ben's notice that he and Rey were the first to leave. 

It also didn't escape his notice that most people were unhappy to see them – more unhappy than they had been earlier that same day. Tensions were escalating. 

Part of Ben wanted to distance himself from Rey – for her own protection – but he knew better than to make choices like that for her. If she was willing to step into the fire with him, he had to let her. 

That didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. 

As they walked through the Resistance base, he overheard what Resistance members had to say about them. 

“–we’re not safe with that monster–”

“–how can she stand to touch–”

“–she’s worse than he is–”

They could say whatever they wanted to about him – he deserved it – but Rey didn’t. She had once been their beacon of hope, but now she was a pariah. He would do whatever he could to make sure the Resistance knew how lucky they were to have her on their side. 

“Don’t listen to them,” Rey whispered in his ear. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“You deserve so much better.”

“I know.” Rey smiled. “I have you.”

Ben sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m happier now, with you, that I was without you,” she said. “Their anger is a small price to pay.”

Ben brushed his hand down her arm. “You shouldn't pay that price.”

Rey leaned forward. “Neither should you,” she said, her lips ghosting against his jaw.

…

Their path was blocked by General Cypress. “I don’t trust you,” he said, looking at Ben and ignoring Rey.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Ben said in a dry voice.

General Cypress tightened his hands into fists. “This isn’t a joke,” he spat out. “You are a threat to everything I have fought for my entire career. I won’t put up with you–”

“There you are,” General Ematt said, stepping between General Cypress and Ben. He wasn't a tall man when compared to Ben, but he towered over General Cypress. “We have to discuss the upcoming mission to–”

“Don’t,” General Cypress said, his face reddening, “say that in front of _him.”_

General Ematt looked back at Ben. “Oh, I didn’t notice him there,” he said, lying with a straight face. “Let’s go back to the command centre and discuss.” He put his arm over General Cypress’ shoulder and led him away. 

Ben let out a relieved exhale.

“We should go,” Rey said. 

Ben followed her outside. 

…

On their way to the _Falcon,_ they ran into Paige and Kaydel.

Paige was leaning back against a large tree and Kaydel was in front of her. Once he moved around the smaller tree that had been obstructing his vision, he realized they weren't talking. They were kissing. 

They clearly weren’t expecting company. 

Rey’s eyes widened. "Sorry," she said, sounding like she wished they had taken another route to the _Falcon._

Paige and Kaydel sprung apart. Paige’s face was pink, but Kaydel just looked smug. 

“You two shouldn’t be walking around alone,” Kaydel said. 

Paige elbowed Kaydel. 

“I’m right,” Kaydel said. “Anger has increased around the base. It’s not safe for them.”

It was worrying that Kaydel had also noticed that tensions had grown. It meant that Ben's worries were justified. “We’re going to the _Falcon."_

“That’s a good idea,” Kaydel agreed. “That ship is a symbol, and even the most enraged Resistance member won't attack it.”

Rey's eyes widened. “You think things are that bad?”

Kaydel nodded. 

“Paige," Rey said, "do you agree?”

Paige sighed. “Kaydel is right.”

Rey’s face fell. “We’ll have to change that.”

“It won’t be easy,” Kaydel warned. 

“That’s never stopped me before.” There was an edge to Rey's voice that Ben knew well. It gave him some comfort because he knew that you didn't want to stand against a determined Rey.

…

Paige and Kaydel accompanied them to the _Falcon,_ and they found his dad and Chewie in the main hold playing dejarik. 

“We’re going to stay here for a bit if that’s okay,” Ben ben said, rubbing his neck. 

His dad raised his eyebrows. “Things are that bad?”

Rey grimaced. “Yes.”

Chewie let out a low growl, showing his displeasure. 

“You’re always welcome here,” his dad said.

Ben believed him. He didn't know when he had started trusting his dad again, but he had. Some of the tension he had been carrying left his body.

... 

Chewie continued to be the most competitive dejarik player Ben had ever seen. Sensing that a fight was imminent, he offered to play one side so that Chewie and his dad could play against him. 

Rey joined his team, and she had a gleam in her eyes that told him he had made a terrible mistake. 

She was as competitive as Chewie was.

…

Paige and Kaydel watched two rounds of dejarik before leaving. Ben thought they were smart to leave before there was a bloodbath. 

When Chewie growled at them, Rey growled back, causing his dad to laugh. Ben didn't laugh. He had seen Rey when she was angry, and he knew that Chewie had met his match. 

Ben was surprised that Chewie didn't seem upset that Rey was as competitive as he was. He seemed thrilled. Chewie gave a gleeful laugh every time she tricked him. 

Ben was outclassed by all three players. He told himself that it was because he was rusty. 

Rey and Ben lost two out of three games against his dad and Chewie before giving up. They retired to the crew quarters. 

…

Ben sat on one of the bunks, and Rey sat next to him. He wasn't tired. 

From the way she kissed him, he could tell Rey wasn't tired either. He wished he could ignore their problems and kiss Rey forever. 

"Stop thinking so much," she said against his lips. 

"Okay," he agreed. 

Ben didn't want to pull away, but it was so hot in the crew quarters. Ben wondered if Chewie had accidentally turned the heat up too high again, which he sometimes did when troubleshooting the start up procedures. He pulled back and took off his shirt.

Rey stared at him. 

He swallowed. "Nothing you haven't seen before."

Rey reached forward and touched his chest. He shivered at the contact. "But I wasn't able to touch you last time," she said. 

Ben smiled. "You could have."

Rey laughed. "I _wouldn't_ have." She ran her hand down his chest towards his stomach, exploring leisurely. 

"Your loss," he said. 

"It was," Rey agreed. "You haven't seen me."

"You don't need to–"

Rey removed her tunic, and he lost the ability to form words. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined, all lean muscle and so much smooth looking skin. 

And then she removed her breast band.

Ben's mouth went dry. 

"You're staring," she said.

Ben nodded in agreement. He couldn't look away from her. "Can I touch you?"

Rey smiled. "Yes."

Ben brought his lips to her neck, and she moaned at the contact. He wanted to touch her everywhere. He moved his lips across her shoulder and down to her breast. 

From the sharp moan she let out, he could tell that she liked when he licked her nipple. 

Ben had never been so turned on before. This was the furthest they had ever gone, but Ben reminded himself that they had time for more. He wanted to enjoy this moment. 

They took their time learning each other's bodies. 

… … …

Finn found Poe in the mess hall. It was late, so Poe had a table to himself. 

"Something is brewing," Poe said as Finn sat across from him. 

Finn raised his eyebrows. "Something good?" he asked in a weak voice. Things were already complicated enough. He didn't want more problems.

Poe barked out a loud laugh. "I wish." He took a sip of his caf. "Do you have any good news?"

"I might. There may be more Stormtoopers like me.”

Poe’s eyes widened. “That’s _great_ news. How do you know?”

“Lando implied as much–”

“Lando Calrissian?”

Finn nodded. “We stayed with him after we escaped the _Supremacy.”_

“Why am I getting the feeling that there is a lot I don’t know?” Poe asked, running his hand through his hair, messing it up a little. 

Finn shrugged. “Because you’re perceptive?”

“Thanks,” Poe said dryly.

Finn leaned forward. “We need to meet them.”

“I agree." Poe had another sip of caf. "Do you think they’ll join us?” 

Finn smiled. “I do.” Everything that had led him here, all the pain, all the fear, it would be worth it if he could help more Stormtroopers find freedom. 

…

Strategizing with Poe gave Finn hope that they could take out the First Order from within. They needed to meet up with the former Stormtoopers on Kef Bir and find out how many of them there were. 

Finn wouldn’t be surprised if as many as one-third of all Stormtoopers were willing to change sides. 

…

Poe also caught Finn up on the latest gossip. He didn’t care about who was dating or who were hated rivals, but Poe delighted in sharing the gossip. It was a welcome distraction. 

A distraction that because of the dark circles under his eyes, Finn could tell Poe needed. 

Poe hit Finn's arm. 

Finn looked at him. “What?”

Poe nodded to Finn's right. “Luke Skywalker is here, and he’s looking at us.”

Finn waved at Luke.

“Fifteen minutes,” Luke said, and then he walked off. 

Poe pinched his brows together. “What was _that?”_

“I’m training with him,” Finn explained, standing up. “I should go get changed first.”

Poe stood up and put his hand on Finn's arm, stopping him from walking away. "You're a Jedi?" 

Finn hesitated before answering. Becoming a Jedi would have once been a dream come true, but now he had seen what the dark side of the Force could do. "I'm training with Luke."

"The Resistance is lucky to have you."

Finn hoped Poe was right. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter count will likely go up. The characters want to have more moments together, which slows down the plot.

When Rey was alone with Ben, she could pretend that none of their problems existed, that they didn't need to worry about the Resistance, the First Order, or Palpatine. It was too easy to forget the future they were gifted the ability to prevent. 

Sometimes Rey wished that neither of them had the Force, that they were two normal people who could sit out this conflict, but mostly, she was grateful the Force had brought them together. Without it, they wouldn't share this connection, they wouldn't have met, and he wouldn't have been saved. 

A life without Ben wasn't a life she wanted to imagine. 

She looked down at him and smiled at how peaceful he looked. Whenever they shared a bed, the tension left his body and he looked younger. She wished he always looked this relaxed. Maybe after they won they would be able to spend every night together like this. 

Rey laid back down and rested her head on Ben's chest. She let the steady thrum of his heart lull her to sleep.

…

Morning brought with it worry about what was to come. Rey had a bad feeling that tensions would continue to escalate instead of dissipate like she hoped they would.

Ben trailed his hand up her arm, causing her to shiver. "Good morning," he said in a low voice, and then he kissed her shoulder.

"Good morning." She started to sit up, but Ben pulled her back down and held her in his arms. 

"Don't get up," he said, his lips next to her ear, "not yet." He pressed his lips against her jaw. 

"Okay, you've convinced me."

Ben kissed his way down her neck, and Rey ran her hands through his hair. He had the best ideas. She wanted to stay here with him. They had been going progressively further every time they were alone, and Rey was excited to find out where their explorations would take them today. Ben brought his hand to her hip, and his fingers trailed beneath her leggings. She wanted–

A loud knock at their door interrupted them. It was followed by a growl. Chewie had brought breakfast, and he wanted them to eat before it got cold. 

Rey sighed. "We'll be out soon."

Chewie told them to hurry up, and then he left. It sounded like he was laughing as he walked away.

"I guess we're getting up now," Ben said with a groan. 

"We'll have more time later," Rey promised. At least she hoped they would. "I'm going to get ready. When I'm done, could you do my hair again?" She bit her lip, suddenly shy. 

"Of course." He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "The same style?"

Rey nodded. "I liked it."

He smiled. "So did I."

…

Rey looked in the mirror as Ben braided her hair. She liked the look of concentration on his face, it was the same look he had worn when they had fought and when they had translated the Jedi text, but this time it was for a happier reason. He focused on her with the same intensity she focused on him. 

Ben had become as important to her as breathing. His faith in her gave her strength she hadn't known she had, and his affection for her made her feel cherished in the way she craved. She hoped that he knew how much she cared for him. 

He knew how to show her affection through soft touches and kind words, but both of those were things she was only now learning how to do. She had never had an example of either to follow, but Ben had the example of his parents. 

All Rey knew how to do was protect what was hers.

...

They joined Han and Chewie in the main hold for breakfast. Chewie had gone out and got them all a large assortment of food. Rey tried not to think about why Chewie didn't want them to leave the _Falcon._

D-O joined them, and at first Rey thought the droid wanted to see them, but then she realized it was trying to get away from the porg that followed it into the room. "Go away," D-O said. 

The porg looked up at the droid with sad eyes. 

"The porg isn't going to harm you," Rey said. "They're friendly."

Han laughed. "They're pests. If we don't keep an eye on them, they'll eat through our circuitry."

D-O gave an alarmed beep. "Go away," he repeated, rolling around in circles.

Ben sighed. "Come over here, and I'll protect you."

D-O looked between Ben and the porg, deciding which was the bigger threat, and rolled over to Ben's legs. "Thank you."

Rey raised her eyebrows. "What are you going to do if the porg comes closer?"

Ben shrugged. "Shoo it away?"

Chewie gave a loud laugh. _"Good luck,"_ he roared. 

The porg watched them as they ate breakfast. Chewie offered it some meat, but it shook its head. Rey wondered what they ate. It must have been something on the _Falcon_ considering how quickly they multiplied. 

The porg didn't come any closer to D-O, but the droid didn't stop staring at it. Whatever the droid had been through had made it incredibly skittish. Rey wondered what they could do to make it feel safe with them. 

…

After breakfast, they lingered in the main hold, none of them wanting to find out what was happening outside the safety of the _Falcon._

Ben shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and Rey wondered what was on his mind. "Did Mom tell you?" he asked, looking at Han and then back down at his hands. 

Han leaned forward. "Tell me what?"

Ben stared at Rey like he was asking for permission, so she gave him a slight nod. "That we're from the future," he said, blurring out the words. 

Han turned to Chewie who shrugged and then turned back to Ben. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Ben said.

Rey held her breath, waiting for the inevitable denial, but Han surprised her. 

Han slumped back into his seat. "I'm guessing it wasn't a good future?" he asked, without even a hint of doubt.

Ben's eyes widened. "You believe me?"

Rey's heart broke a little at how surprised he sounded. 

Han ran his hand through his hair. "I don't understand the Force, but I know you do, so if you say you're from the future, I'm going to take you at your word."

Rey let out an exhale, relieved that they didn't have to defend themself, that they didn't have to work to convince Han. 

"Thank you," Ben, his voice small.

Han looked at Rey. "You both came back?"

"Yes," she said, imagining for the first time what all this would have been like if she was alone.

"Good," Han said, "I'm glad you had each other."

Chewie nodded in agreement. 

Ben's hand brushed against her thigh. She looked over at him and had a slight smile on his face. She could tell how much his dad's words meant to him. 

…

Rey mentioned wanting to gather their belongings and bring them back to the _Falcon._ Han had thought it was a great idea and wanted to go _for_ them. 

Rey crossed her arms. "I can go."

Han shook his head "That's not a good–"

"I'll go with her," Ben said. 

Han pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I meant."

"We'll be back soon," Rey said. She wanted to know where they stood with the Resistance. Staying on the _Falcon_ wouldn't give them that information. 

…

Everyone kept their distance, which should have been better than a direct confrontation, but it left Rey uneasy. 

Ben opened the door to their room and abruptly stopped. He put his hand on his lightsaber, ready to face a threat.

Rey did the same. "What's wrong?" she asked in what she hoped was a calm voice.

Ben walked into the room so that he wasn't blocking the door. "This," he said, gesturing at the damaged room. "This is what's wrong."

The room was a mess of overturned furniture. The walls were covered with insults and threats. The words had been painted in the same shade of orange as the T-70 X-wing starfighters the Resistance used. 

It looked wrong seeing a colour she associated with the Resistance being used in such a vile way. They were supposed to be better than this. 

Rey's eyes were drawn to the one threat that was larger than the rest.

**_DIE FIRST ORDER SCUM_ **

Rey's blood boiled. _How dare they?_

She looked over to Ben and followed his gaze to the word he was looking at.

**_MONSTER_ **

She had once called Ben that, and he had once thought of himself that way – sometimes still thought of himself that way. Rey tightened her hold on her lightsaber. 

She let her eyes drift around the room until another insult caught her eye. Lower to the ground, in smaller lettering, there was more writing, this time about her. 

**_KYLO REN'S WHORE_ **

Rey's hands were shaking from anger. She tried to block Ben from seeing that one, but she must have been too obvious in her attempt to hide it from him because he sucked in a sharp breath. 

"They have no right," he said, sounding more like Kylo Ren in that moment than he had in any other since they came back to this time. 

She reached out to touch his arm – waiting to offer some comfort – but he flinched away from her. She tried not to take his reaction personally. 

Ben's shoulders were raised and he paced around the room furiously. His eyes were dark and his jaw was tense. 

Rey bit her lip. "Let's see if we can find our belongings." She was worried about what could have been done to them, especially their gifts from Lando. 

Rey hadn't shown Ben everything Lando had given her. Like Ben, she had been given some clothes, but she had also been given some jewelry. It was the type that went in hair, which had confused Rey until Ben had braided her hair for the first time. She wanted to surprise Ben with it. 

"I'll look over here," Ben said, nodding towards the refresher.

For all the destruction that was done to the room, Rey was relieved to find their bags were unopened. Whoever had done this must have been in a hurry because it's not like anything had been hidden. "I've got our bags." 

"Good," Ben said. 

"What about our stuff in the refresher?"

"Nothing worth keeping," he said, and the way he said it told her that she didn't want to look in the refresher. Whatever it was, Red decided that she didn't need to know. 

Ben swore under his breath, and Rey saw him looking at another threat on the wall.

_**KILL THE WHORE** _

A chill passed through Rey. "Ben," she said, drawing his attention away from the words, "we should go." 

He didn't move. It was like he didn't hear her. 

Rey put down their bags and stepped closer. This time she cupped his cheek, and he looked down at her. "We should go," she repeated. 

Ben nodded and grabbed one of the bags. He took her hand, and they walked out of the room together.

Rey wouldn't let the room's destruction tarnish their happy memories of the space. 

…

"There you are," Finn said as they left the room. "General Organa wants to see–" Finn stopped abruptly, taking in the looks on their faces – "what happened?"

Rey and Ben both stepped aside, allowing Finn to look inside the room. When he came back out, he was paler than he was when he walked in. "Follow me," he said in a clipped voice. 

…

Leia was waiting for them in her office. Finn took a seat and Rey and Ben followed his example. Leia joined them at the table. 

"Our room was vandalized," Rey said, breaking the silence. 

Ben rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't that bad."

Rey gave him a confused look. 

Finn let out a startled laugh. "It was pretty bad."

Ben shrugged. "It could have been worse."

"What type of damage?" Leia asked Rey.

"Overturned furniture. Insults." Rey swallowed. "Threats."

Leia squeezed her eyes shut. "I was afraid of this." She let out a deep sigh and opened her eyes. "You'll need to leave soon."

Ben's jaw tightened. "Leave?"

Leia nodded. "You need to find the Sith wayfinders."

"You believe us?" Rey asked, hoping that they would be able to use their future knowledge to do some more good. If Leia believed them, every one else would soon follow. Rey wanted to–

"No," Ben said in a dark voice, "she's trying to get rid of us."

Leia's eyes widened. "Ben–"

Ben crossed his arms. "Am I wrong?"

"This is your chance to prove to us that you're from the future," Leia said, not denying her son's words. 

Ben pursed his lips. "Convenient timing." He sounded so bitter to Rey's ears. There was a lifetime of hurt behind his words. 

Leia shook her head. "Nothing about this is convenient."

"Sorry to be such a big problem," Ben said, resting his hands in front of him on the table.

Leia reached for Ben's hands, but he pulled them away. "You're not a problem," she said. 

"So you wouldn't mind if I stayed?' Ben said the words like they were a challenge. 

Leia's silence spoke volumes. 

"That's what I thought," Ben continued. "I should have expected this." He stood up and left the office. 

Leia leaned her forehead on her hand. She looked defeated. 

"Finn, could you go after him?" Rey asked. "It's not safe for him to walk around alone." If a hurt and angry Ben ran into the wrong person… things could get so much worse.

"On it," Finn said. 

Rey gave him a relieved smile, and then she sat next to Leia. 

She waited for Leia to speak first. 

After a long silence, Leia straightened. Her body language was that of a woman who was determined to carry on with business as usual, but her eyes were those of a woman who had endured too much heartbreak. "That went worse than I expected." 

"You expected it to go _well?"_ Rey asked, not meaning to sound so harsh, but she was surprised by how little Leia understood her son. 

Leia sighed. "No."

"You could have told him in a different way," Rey said. 

Leia pursed her lips. "He would have had the same reaction."

"You don't know that."

"I do," Leia said. "I sent him away once, and he'll always remember that. It's a decision I'll always regret."

"You're stuck in the past," Rey said. Leia needed to move forward, needed to build something new with Ben. 

"I can't reach him. Han's done a better job than me." 

"They've had more time together," Rey said gently. 

Leia shook her head. "And who's fault is that?" It was a rhetorical question. They both knew that Leia had prioritized work over spending time with her son in the past, and she hadn't spent much time with him since he arrived on Ajan Kloss either. 

Ben hadn't said anything, but Rey was sure he had noticed. 

Rey wanted to give Leia some words of comfort, but she didn't have any to offer. 

"When you come back, I'll try to make things better," Leia said. 

"When we come back," Rey repeated. 

Leia nodded. "Tensions will be easier to de-escalate without Ben around. I'm not sending him away forever."

Rey leaned back in her chair and raised her eyebrows. "Maybe you should have opened with that."

"You're right. I should have."

Rey crossed her arms. "You hurt him."

"Better me than the increasingly violent faction led by General Cypress."

"Are you sure about that?" Rey challenged. "Because I think he can handle them, but I don't know how much more of getting hurt by you he can take."

Leia's composure faltered for a moment. "You've given me a lot to consider."

"I'm sorry if I was too harsh. I didn't mean–"

"Don't apologize." Leia touched her arm. "You care deeply for my son."

Rey was good at fixing things, but she didn't know how to fix broken relationships. She wished she could do more. 

…

Leia called for Luke who accompanied Rey back to the _Falcon._ He and Finn were going with her and Ben, and Rey wasn't looking forward to telling Ben. 

...

Rey and Luke walked up the _Falcon's_ boarding ramp and found Ben and Finn inside. 

Ben glared at Luke. "Finn mentioned that you're coming with us."

"I am," Luke confirmed. 

"Great," Ben said, taking his bad mood out on Luke, "we've had such a great track record of me leaving with you. Let's try it again–"

"You're leaving?" Han asked. 

Rey hadn't seen Han join them, and from the look on Ben's face, neither had he. 

"I…" Ben trailed off. 

Han wrinkled his brows. "What's going on?" He didn't sound like he appreciated being out of the loop.

"We're going to find the Sith wayfinders," Luke explained. 

"Who's going?" Han asked. 

"Me, Ben, Finn, and Luke," Rey answered. 

Han shook his head. "No."

"No?" Finn asked. 

"No," Han repeated, "you're not going without me."

Ben was staring at Han. "We're not?" he asked in a small voice. 

Han clasped Ben's shoulder. "You can't get rid of me that easily, kid. You're not going anywhere without me."

Rey blinked back tears. She was so grateful in that moment that Han knew exactly what his son needed to hear. Maybe he would be able to help Ben and Leia fix their relationship. He had done a good job so far with Ben. 

…

It didn't take long for them to prepare for takeoff, even with all the damage the porgs had done. It was like they knew what was nonessential. 

Leia came to say goodbye, but Ben refused to make eye contact. She spoke to Luke briefly, and then she gave Han and Chewie both hugs. 

Then she came over to Rey. "Take care of him for me, will you?"

"Ben doesn't need me to take care of him."

"Maybe not in a fight," Leia said, "but he needs someone to help protect his heart."

"I'll do my best," Rey promised. 

Leia gave Ben one last look, and then she left. 

Paige and Rose joined them just as Leia left. They took turns hugging Finn, and then Rose surprised everyone by hugging Ben. He looked stunned. Rose whispered in his ear and then pulled away.

Paige hugged him next, and Rey laughed. He looked so stiff and uncomfortable, but at least he hugged Paige back. 

Rey hugged both sisters goodbye at the same time. "Thanks for looking out for Ben," she said so only they could hear. 

Paige smiled. "He's not so bad."

"I'm starting to think my first impression of him was the right one," Rose said. 

Things with the Resistance were bad, but in Rey's opinion, Ben had won over the most important Resistance members. 

… … …

Rose and Paige stood outside the _Falcon_ with Leia as the ship departed. It was hard to watch them leave. Rose was worried about Finn, worried about what would happen when he found more former Stormtoopers, or worse, what would happen if he was found by the First Order. 

She was also worried about the rest of them. Mustafar sounded dangerous, and Kef Bir didn't sound much better. 

Rose had to keep her mind on what she could control. "What's the plan?" she asked Leia. 

Leia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"We've got to make things better before they come back." Rose gestured at the departing _Falcon._ "How are we going to do it?"

Paige nodded. "It's gotten bad. General Cypress has more influence than I thought."

"Unfortunately, you're right. I hadn't expected so many to listen to him, but I have a few ideas," Leia said, a smile growing on her face, "and your help would be instrumental. Both of you."

Paige nodded. "Whatever you need."

"Put us to work," Rose said. She would do whatever was needed to help her friends. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://captainmarvel42.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/Marvel42Captain).


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